DF-26

China's road-mobile, dual-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile — designed to hold US bases in the Western Pacific at risk and, in its anti-ship variant, to challenge carrier strike groups far from shore.

Overview

The DF-26 (Dong Feng-26, US DoD designation CH-SS-18) is a two-stage, solid-propellant intermediate-range ballistic missile fielded by the PLA Rocket Force. It is China’s first nuclear-armed system able to conduct precision strikes, a milestone highlighted by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, and its modular payload concept allows a single missile type to carry either nuclear or conventional warheads in a biconic maneuvering reentry vehicle The Washington Times. The range — estimated by the Center for Strategic and International Studies at roughly 4,000 km, with Chinese sources claiming more than 5,000 km — puts the US territory of Guam, major bases in Japan, and large areas of the Western Pacific within reach CSIS Missile Threat. An anti-ship variant, the DF-26B, expands the family into the anti-access/area-denial role that had previously been the preserve of the shorter-ranged DF-21D.

Development

The DF-26 first broke cover during the 1 September 2015 victory parade in Beijing. Fielding began in 2016, and the first operational brigade was publicly reported in 2018. China’s aerospace prime contractor CASC is the lead manufacturer. By 2020 the Rocket Force was assessed to operate roughly 80–100 DF-26 launchers CSIS Missile Threat, though total IRBM launchers across the force were estimated between 200 and 350. The weapon’s development reflects a deliberate Chinese effort to field a survivable, road-mobile IRBM that can hold fixed and mobile targets at risk across the Second Island Chain.

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