Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
International

Trump Impact? China Tests Missile With 10 Nuclear Warheads: Report

Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Feb, 2017 12:50 PM
  • Trump Impact? China Tests Missile With 10 Nuclear Warheads: Report
BEIJING:  China has reportedly tested a new version of a missile that can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads, signalling a major shift in its nuclear capability as Beijing gears up for a possible military showdown with the US under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
 
The flight test of the DF-5C missile was carried out last month using 10 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles, or MIRVs, the Washington Free Beacon reported. The test of the inert warheads was monitored closely by US intelligence agencies, said two officials familiar with reports of the missile test.
 
The Dongfeng-5C missile, carrying 10 dummy warheads, was launched from the Taiyuan Space Launch Centre in Shanxi province, and flew to a desert in western China, the report said.
 
The missile is a new variant of the DF-5, an intercontinental ballistic missile that first went into service in the early 1980's.
 
"The [Defence Department] routinely monitors Chinese military developments and accounts for PLA capabilities in our defence plans," Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross was quoted as saying by the report.
 
For decades, the US has put the estimated number of warheads in China's nuclear arsenal at about 250. But the report suggested that the latest test with 10 warheads meant the actual number could be larger.
 
China also began adding warheads to older DF-5 missiles in February last year, according to US intelligence agencies. US defence officials have previously warned that China's rapid development of long-range ballistic missiles, coupled with a lack of transparency about its nuclear capabilities, could bring uncertainty to stability in the region.
 
 
The timing of the test coincided with the election of Donald Trump as US President who signalled a tougher stance against China over a range of issues, from the trade deficit to Beijing's military build-up in the disputed South China Sea.
 
Chinese military expert from an institute affiliated with the People's Liberation Army, (PLA) said a new test would not have been aimed at Trump.
 
"The test of a nuclear missile requires permission from the highest level - the Central Military Commission. It takes at least one year for the military to get the approval and to prepare for it," the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted unnamed expert as saying.
 
 
"It is not a random decision to be made just because Trump is now in office," the expert said.
 
Although China had made steady progress in nuclear arms development in recent years, the government had no plans to drastically adjust its nuclear policy, the expert said.
 
Also recent commentaries in the official media here said China is stepping up preparedness for a possible military conflict with US after Trump election.
 
A commentary in the official website of People's Liberation Army's (PLA) said on January 20 the day Trump assumed Presidency that the chances of war have become "more real" amid a more complex security situation in Asia Pacific.
 
The commentary written by an official at the national defence mobilisation department in the Central Military Commission, China's overall military high command said the call for a US rebalancing of its strategy in Asia, military deployments in the East and South China Seas and the instillation of a missile defence system in South Korea were hot spots getting closer to ignition.
 
"A war within the President's term or war breaking out tonight are not just slogans, they are becoming a practical reality," the commentary said.
 
Recent images purporting to show China's Dongfeng-41 missile have surfaced on Chinese websites with reports suggesting that Beijing has deployed them in Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia.
 
The missile, with a range of 14,000 km and a payload of 10-12 nuclear warheads, is considered one of the military's most powerful. 
 
Global Times, a state-run tabloid in a recent commentary said the deployment of the DF-41 was a "strategic deterrence tool" and Beijing would "ready itself for pressures imposed by the new US government". 

MORE International ARTICLES

Microsoft's Satya Nadella Not Nervous Of Donald Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump does not make India-born Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella nervous, and he is confident about the tech giant's place as a job creator.

Microsoft's Satya Nadella Not Nervous Of Donald Trump

Malaysia Lifts Curbs On Hiring Foreign Workers In More Sectors

Malaysia Lifts Curbs On Hiring Foreign Workers In More Sectors
Citing critical need for manpower and economic progress following dismal reception from locals, the Malaysian government has withdrawn curbs on hiring foreign workers for two industries on Tuesday, a newspaper here reported.

Malaysia Lifts Curbs On Hiring Foreign Workers In More Sectors

Very Important Lessons Learnt From Devyani Khobragade Incident: US

Very Important Lessons Learnt From Devyani Khobragade Incident: US
The Indo-US diplomatic crisis that erupted in 2013 with the arrest of woman diplomat Devyani Khobragade was not only a "low point" in ties but both sides learnt "very important lessons" from it, a top official of the outgoing Obama administration has said.

Very Important Lessons Learnt From Devyani Khobragade Incident: US

German Passport World's Strongest, India Ranks Ahead Of China

German Passport World's Strongest, India Ranks Ahead Of China
India stands at 78th position with a visa-free score of 46, ahead of China and Pakistan which are ranked 58th and 94th on the list respectively.

German Passport World's Strongest, India Ranks Ahead Of China

Will Overcome Chinese Hurdle Eventually, Says US, On India's NSG Membership

Will Overcome Chinese Hurdle Eventually, Says US, On India's NSG Membership
Mr Verma said President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and a lot of other people had worked in pushing India's membership to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group and that the United States will continue to work on it.

Will Overcome Chinese Hurdle Eventually, Says US, On India's NSG Membership

Mexican Town Fears Nightclub Shooting Means Drug War Has Come

Mexican Town Fears Nightclub Shooting Means Drug War Has Come
Concerns that violence may be creeping into Playa del Carmen were voiced as people attended a Monday evening vigil in front of the Blue Parrot nightclub, where five people died and 15 were wounded or injured in the chaos before dawn.

Mexican Town Fears Nightclub Shooting Means Drug War Has Come