China Airs Footage of DF-17 Missile Launch for First Time
Quick Look
- China's military has broadcast footage of a DF-17 missile launch for the first time, showing a live-fire exercise.
- The missile, first seen in 2019, was featured in a military news program ahead of the PLA Rocket Force's 60th anniversary.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
China's military news program aired footage of live-fire exercises, including a DF-17 missile launch, for the first time. This occurred ahead of the 60th anniversary of the PLA Rocket Force.
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.
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.
Open Questions
- What is the specific range and capability of the DF-17?
- What is the strategic implication of this public display?
