Why China is rapidly building new nuclear missile silos

Amid all the tension in Afghanistan and elsewhere, China is trying to increase its nuclear and military strength. Recently, some satellite imagery showed that China is building at least three missile silo fields in Inner Mongolia. But this is not the first time. Earlier this year, 16 missile silos were discovered in the Jilantai military training area of ​​the People’s Liberation Army (PLARF), also in Inner Mongolia.

Nuclear silos are vertical cylindrical structures built underground for the storage and launch of ICBMs (ICBMs). It is estimated that China is building about 120 missile silos in Yumen, about 110 silos in Hami, and 29 in the Hanggin Banner field. The Yumen and Hami fields are identical. The silos are grouped, but spaced about three kilometers apart in a grid pattern. Some of the silos have dome shelters.

Last month, the US military warned of a major expansion of China’s nuclear missile silo fields. Researchers from the Federation of American Scientists used satellite imagery to identify a new field being built in western China and estimated that China has about 250 underground missile silos under construction.

The missile silo field in the Xinjiang region is the second reported this summer. In June, researchers from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California identified another field under construction in neighboring Gansu Province.

US concerns about nuclear weapons build-up in China after report on new silos https://t.co/URWgNSp5ao pic.twitter.com/E5kC19hzqg

– Reuters (@Reuters) July 28, 2021

Possible reasons for building missile silos in China

While there was no response from the Chinese side to reports on the matter, there could be three possible reasons for this.

First, China experts believe that this could be the communist nation’s attempt to move towards a nuclear kill-on-warning (LOW) position.

Launch-on-Warning (LOW) refers to a launch on an enemy upon detection of an incoming missile before the enemy missile hits its target.

China’s nuclear strategy has remained largely unchanged since 1964 when an atomic bomb exploded for the first time. It is based on the installation of fear through sure vengeance.

Second, it enables China to achieve its goal of increasing its nuclear warhead inventory. China currently has around 350 nuclear warheads.

China has around 150 land-based missiles that can deliver between 180 and 190 nuclear warheads to some parts of the United States.

If all of the new missile silos were loaded with a single warhead missile, the number would rise to 410-440.

If the silos were loaded with the DF-41s once completed, which can carry up to two to three warheads per missile, that number would rise to 930-940 warheads.

Third, China wants to build a much larger nuclear arsenal, fearing that any weakness would lead western countries to destabilize China and threaten security.

A bigger arsenal would make the country’s rivals respect China and show more restraint in dealing with Beijing.

advantages and disadvantages

Silos are much more vulnerable than some alternative launch platforms because they don’t move. This makes them easy to locate and even easier to aim.

But with enough atomic silos and modern missile technology, they can be an advantage.

(With agency entries)

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