CHINA-NUCLEAR: CHINA IS CONSTRUCTING A SECOND NUCLEAR MISSILE SILO FIELD
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The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) on its blog on July 26 reported that Satellite images reveal that China is building a second nuclear missile silo field near the prefecture-level city of Hami in Eastern Xinjiang. The discovery follows the report earlier this month that China appears to be constructing 120 missile silos near Yumen in Gansu province. The second missile silo field is located 380 kilometres (240 miles) northwest of the Yumen field near the prefecture-level city of Hami in Eastern Xinjiang. The Hami missile silo field is in a much earlier stage of development than the Yumen site. Construction began at the start of March 2021 in the southeastern corner of the complex and continues at a rapid pace. Since then, dome shelters have been erected over at least 14 silos and soil cleared in preparation for the construction of another 19 silos. The grid-like outline of the entire complex indicates that it may eventually include approximately 110 silos. The report said the silo construction at Yumen and Hami constitutes the most significant expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal ever. China has for decades operated about 20 silos for liquid-fuel DF-5 ICBMs. With 120 silos under construction at Yumen, another 110 silos at Hami, a dozen silos at Jilantai, and possibly more silos being added in existing DF-5 deployment areas, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) appears to have approximately 250 silos under construction – more than ten times the number of ICBM silos in operation today.
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