The country's older silos are scattered, isolated, and somewhat camouflaged.Ĭhina's DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 2019, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The silos are grouped but spaced roughly two miles apart in grid patterns, which is very different from the way China has approached silos in the past. The Hami site, which is still in the early stages of construction, is roughly 300 square miles and the Yumen site is around 700 square miles. Silo construction is clearly visible and appears to be underway in Hami in Xinjiang province, Yumen in Gansu province, and Jinlantai in Inner Mongolia.
In recent months, analysts with the Federation of American Scientists and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies relying on commercial satellite images have found that China is constructing what looks like around 250 new missile silos. To some experts Insider talked to, the huge silo fields look to be China's answer to rivals that have a lot more nuclear weapons. It often indicates a user profile.Ĭhina appears to be building hundreds of new silos to house intercontinental ballistic missiles, raising some questions about its intentions. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
