Breaking News – China equips its army with advanced hypersonic missile

CHINA has deployed its most advanced hypersonic missile to its coastal areas near Taiwan to ‘prepare for a possible invasion’ of the island, a report has revealed.

Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been stepping up militarisation in the regions of Fujian and Zhejiang by placing its top-secret DF-17 missile in the area, according to The South China Morning Post, quoting an anonymous military source.

A Chinese newspaper has branded the report as ‘merely speculation’.

The news comes as the Chinese military has boasted about its combat capabilities and conducted live-fire drills amid rising tensions between China and self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing considers as its own.

The DF-17 is a medium-range ballistic missile which delivers a hypersonic glide vehicle, was officially unveiled during China’s National Day military parade on October 1, 2019.

The weapon has a maximum range of 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) and is capable of achieving speeds of up to 7,680 miles per hour (12,360 kph) – or 10 times the speed of sound – while carrying a nuclear warhead, according to previous reports.

The news caused fears in Taiwan as local media suggested that the DF-17 could enable the PLA to directly attack the island’s air force bases.

Reports also noted that Beijing had been deploying J-20 stealth fighter jets and Marine Corps units to its military base in Guangdong as preparation of a possible invasion.