The Dongfeng-17 (), is a Chinese
solid-fuelled road-mobile medium-range ballistic missile
A medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is a type of ballistic missile with medium range, this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, a medium-range missile is defined b ...
that mounts the
DF-ZF Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
Hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is a type of warhead for ballistic missile that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed. It is used on ballistic missiles to significantly change their trajectories. Conventional ballistic missiles follow a predi ...
.
The DF-17 along with the DF-ZF, was officially unveiled at the
National Day military parade on 1 October 2019,
making this China's first operational
hypersonic weapon systems and one of the world's first to be put in full
initial operation.[Henri Kenhmann (2019-10-07) DF-17 : Ce que l’on sait de cette arme hypersonique chinoise]
(translated, French: ''DF-17: What is known about this Chinese hypersonic weapon'')
Design
The DF-17 uses the rocket booster from the already operational
DF-16B short-range ballistic missile.
As such, the design of the missile itself did not require any major changes. The biggest change however, is the obvious usage of a hypersonic glide vehicle rather than a conventional re-entry warhead(s) found in normal
ballistic missiles
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within t ...
and
MIRVs.
The DF-ZF HGV operates in a different manner from normal ballistic missiles or even
intercontinental ballistic missiles
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
in the first place. Rather than firing and landing in a normal arc, the DF-17's HGV suppresses its trajectory and accelerates to reach
Mach 5.
Due to its suppressed, lower altitude trajectory, intercepting the glide vehicle with
ABM shielding becomes far harder and more complex than that of a conventional re-entry vehicle. This is further complicated, as the gliding makes the DF-ZF far more maneuverable;
[ Ankit Panda (October 07, 2019) Hypersonic Hype: Just How Big of a Deal Is China’s DF-17 Missile?]
A conventional-weapons-only boost-glide HGV mounted on endo-atmospheric fuselage extending both its range and avoiding potential ABM shielding. As such, the DF-17 could hit regional targets despite its
SRBM nature.
The DF-17 can also be used to mount a more conventional re-entry vehicle than the DF-ZF.
Development
Testing of DF-17 prototypes was underway by 2014. At least nine test flights occurred between January 2014 and November 2017.
The HGV test flight of 1 November 2017 launched from the
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC; also known as Shuangchengzi Missile Test Center; Launch Complex B2; formally Northwest Comprehensive Missile Testing Facility (); Base 20; 63600 Unit) is a Chinese space vehicle launch facility ( sp ...
in
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
. The missile's payload flew approximately 1,400 kilometers with the HGV flying at a depressed altitude of around 60 kilometers following the completion of the DF-17’s ballistic and reentry phases. The test followed the first plenum of the Communist Party of China’s 19th Party Congress in October.
The missile was officially unveiled during the National Day parade on 1 October 2019.
[
]
Strategic implications
In March 2020, the United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
proposes to accelerate the development of conventionally armed hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) to keep pace with the Chinese development. Michael Griffin, former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, abbreviated USD (R&E), is a senior official of the United States Department of Defense. The USD (R&E) is charged with the development and oversight of technology strategy for the DoD. ...
, presented House Armed Services Committee
The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of De ...
that the United States needs to develop hypersonic weapons "to allow us to match what our adversaries are doing."
See also
* DF-ZF - Hypersonic glide vehicle and the main armament of the DF-17.
* Avangard - Russia's ground-based hypersonic glide vehicle.
* Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon - USA's planned hypersonic glide vehicle.
References
{{Chinese missiles
Ballistic missiles of the People's Republic of China
Medium-range ballistic missiles
Military equipment introduced in the 2010s