China's Army Reveals Hypersonic Missile in New Video
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Monday released the first public footage of the DF-17, a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile system, offering a rare close-up look at one of Beijing's most-advanced weapons.
The broadcast showed the camera zooming in on the wedge-shaped hypersonic glide vehicle mounted atop the DF-17 before the missile was launched vertically from a transporter erector launcher (TEL) in the Gobi Desert.
Hypersonic missiles are generally defined as weapons capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound. Many use maneuverable glide vehicles that make them harder to track and intercept than traditional ballistic missiles.
China is widely considered the leader in hypersonic weapons development, which analysts say forms a key part of its strategy to deter foreign intervention in a potential regional conflict, including over Taiwan.
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DF-17 System
The medium-range DF-17 was the first hypersonic weapon to enter service with China's military and made its public debut during the National Day military parade on October 1, 2019.
The new footage aired ahead of the July 1 anniversary marking 60 years since the founding of the predecessor of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force.
The DF-17 is believed to have a range of roughly 1,100 to 1,550 miles, putting areas such as the South China Sea and U.S. military bases in Japan within reach. Its road-mobile design also makes it more difficult to detect and target than silo-based systems, increasing survivability in a conflict.
Viewers also briefly saw what appeared to be an upgraded variant of another system in China's Dong Feng (Mandarin for “East Wind”) missile family.
This included the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, dubbed the “Guam Killer” due to its range, estimated between 1,860 and 3,410 miles.
Upgraded DF-26
“It is likely the latest, improved version of the DF-26, which also indicates that the Dongfeng series is being presented as a large-scale system,” Chinese military analyst Du Wenlong said during the CCTV program Military Time.
“China has the world’s leading hypersonic missile arsenal and continued to advance the development of conventional and nuclear-armed hypersonic missile technologies during the past year,” the Pentagon wrote in its annual report on Chinese military power released in December.
It added that the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force is expanding and modernizing its missile arsenal, with hypersonic systems playing an increasingly central role in its deterrence strategy.
Russia and North Korea have also claimed to field hypersonic weapons, while the United States is continuing its own development programs.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 10:13 AM.