Overview
- U.S. officials say more than 100 DF-31 intercontinental missiles are now in Chinese silos across fields in Hami, Yumen and Yulin.
- The DF-31s use solid fuel for faster launch readiness and have an estimated range of about 6,800 miles capable of reaching most of the United States.
- The Pentagon projects China could surpass 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, after estimating a stockpile in the low 600s through 2024.
- The report notes likely progress toward an early-warning counterstrike posture in 2024, which would enable launch on warning of an incoming attack.
- Independent analyses of recent satellite images point to expanded facilities tied to warhead production at Pingtong and Zitong and new tunnels and shafts near Lop Nur, while Chinese state media dismiss the assessment as exaggerated.