The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force marked its 60th anniversary on July 1, with several types of strategic missiles successively making appearances in Chinese state media reports this month. Among them, footage of the Dongfeng-26 "bare missile" launch was revealed for the first time, showing the intermediate-range ballistic missile nicknamed "Guam Express" opening its clamshell-style protective cover horizontally, the bare missile being raised, and then ignition and launch—all completed within a few minutes, demonstrating the Dongfeng-26’s high mobility, rapid response, and strong survivability.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Rocket Force (Strategic Missile Troops), CCTV’s National Defense and Military Channel aired a commemorative special "Sixty Years of Dongfeng: Sharpening the Sword to Build a Strong Military for a New Era" on June 20, in which footage of the DF-26’s bare missile was publicly shown for the first time, attracting attention from Hong Kong and Taiwan media last weekend.
The footage shows the Dongfeng-26 not loaded in a transport launch canister, with the missile’s main body in a military green metallic shell, standing vertically ready for ignition and launch at any time.
The missile is mainly composed of three cylindrical sections: a white-painted warhead section, the second stage, and the first stage booster. Clear ring seams at the junctions between each section are visible, and the missile’s shell is smooth without any large external pipes.
The missile is mainly composed of three cylindrical sections: a white-painted warhead section, the second stage, and the first stage booster. Clear ring seams at the junctions between each section are visible, and the missile’s shell is smooth without any large external pipes.
In the past, the Dongfeng-26 mostly appeared in public stored inside a transport canister and mounted on a Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL). This rare disclosure of its bare missile state, coupled with footage showing the missile unit conducting road maneuver drills, is intended to showcase the Rocket Force’s formidable conventional strategic strike and rapid response capabilities.
Chinese military commentator Du Wenlong judged that the missile seen in the footage is likely the latest improved version of the Dongfeng-26 and, like the DF-17, it is equipped with "small fins," enabling it to penetrate air defense and missile defense systems.
Du Wenlong commented: "With this, striking complex targets, moving targets, and new targets will all see a great improvement. Whenever you see a warhead with fins, pay close attention: it has terminal phase maneuvering capability and offers strong penetration against all kinds of air defense and missile defense systems."
Chinese military commentator Du Wenlong judged that the missile seen in the footage is likely the latest improved version of the Dongfeng-26 and, like the DF-17, it is equipped with "small fins," enabling it to penetrate air defense and missile defense systems.
Du Wenlong commented: "With this, striking complex targets, moving targets, and new targets will all see a great improvement. Whenever you see a warhead with fins, pay close attention: it has terminal phase maneuvering capability and offers strong penetration against all kinds of air defense and missile defense systems."
Public sources indicate the Dongfeng-26 was first unveiled at the September 3 military parade in 2015. This missile type weighs about 20 tons with a maximum range of up to 5,000 kilometers, covering the second island chain, hence its nickname "Guam Express."
China’s military media analysis points out that, within the Rocket Force’s arsenal of strategic weapon systems, the Dongfeng-26 stands out as the top-ranked "all-rounder" in terms of strike options.
In terms of range and deterrence, although Dongfeng family ICBMs like the DF-31, DF-5, and DF-41 surpass the DF-26, those intercontinental missiles are mainly for strategic deterrence and balancing major-power standoffs. In contrast, the DF-26 is the ultimate weapon for executing conventional strategic strikes.
The Dongfeng-26 uses a dual-system design and can be equipped with either a nuclear or conventional warhead. It boasts large-area, unanchored mobile launch capability and is able to execute rapid nuclear counterattacks as well as medium-to-long-range precision conventional strikes.
The DF-26 can not only effectively destroy critical land-based strategic targets but also has the ability to attack aircraft carrier groups and other large to medium-sized maritime moving targets. It can suppress the US military's air and naval bases in the second island chain centered on Guam, destroy high-value assets such as early warning and refueling aircraft, and thus pose a substantial deterrent to enemy carrier groups in the Western Pacific.