China’s state broadcaster CCTV has aired footage showing the launch of a DF-17 hypersonic missile, a weapon that analysts believe could strengthen deterrence across the first island chain.
On Saturday, a military news programme carried footage of two live-fire exercises, one of which showed a Dongfeng-17, or “east wind”, missile launcher by the side of a road, followed by a vertical launch.
The other segment showed training exercises involving multiple branches of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at a rocket force training area somewhere in the Gobi Desert.
A hypersonic weapon is usually defined as one that reaches speeds of at least Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, making it extremely difficult to intercept.
The DF-17 made its first public appearance during a major military parade in Beijing in October 2019, but this is the first time footage of a launch has been aired in public.
The footage was broadcast ahead of the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Second Artillery Force, the forerunner of today’s PLA Rocket Force, on July 1.
The missile has a range of 1,800km to 2,500km (1,120-1,550 miles), which means it can carry out strikes across the strategically vital first island chain and parts of the second island chain.