China unveils Dongfeng-41 missiles that ‘can strike US in 30 minutes'

China celebrated 70 years of communist party rule on Tuesday with a huge National Day parade in Beijing and the occasion was used by the communist nation to showcase its military might to the world. The National Day parade took place at Tiananmen Square in front of President Xi Jingping.

According to reports, 15,000 military personnel participated in the parade, which included 59 different elements of the military. The Chinese military also showcased more than 160 aircraft and 580 pieces of domestically manufactured equipment during the parade. It is learnt that 40% of the weapons unveiled during the military parade have never been revealed in public.

The DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile

This is China's most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and it has an operational range of more than 14, 000 kilometers. The DF-41 is capable of carrying about 10 independently targetable nuclear warheads which can hit any target on earth. DF-41 is now the world's longest range missile ahead of US LGM-30 Minuteman which has a reported range of 13,000 kilometers. According to Chinese defence experts, the missile is capable of striking the continental US within 30 minutes. 

The DF-17 hypersonic ballistic missile

Dongfeng-17 is a short-to-medium-range missile which is capable of launching a hypersonic glide vehicle. According to Washington Post, this missile could exceed the speed of sound and penetrat US missile shields. The DF-17 is equipped with a maneuverable reentry vehicle, which allows it to shift targets in flight. The DF-17 is capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional payloads.

HQ-9B surface-to-air missiles

Another advanced weapon which was displayed by China during the National Day Parade was HQ-9B surface-to-air missiles. According to Aljazeera, this missile is capable of intercepting multiple air strike weapons in a complex electro-magnetic environment. It is learnt that the HQ-9B is capable of hitting target aircraft 100 nautical miles away, which means that these missiles could target nearly any ship and most aircraft in the southern half of the South China Sea.

DF-26 missile

China also displayed its DF-26 intermediate range missile, dubbed "Guam killer" during the National Day parade in Beijing. With a range of 3,000–5,471 km, DF-26 could be used in the nuclear, conventional, and anti-ship strike roles. This missile is deployed on a 12x12 transporter-erector-launcher (TEL), likely based on CASC developed by Tai'an Corporation.

New and advanced radar system

The Chinese military also displayed a new and advanced radar system which would be able to "detect jets and missiles". It is to be noted that Beijing has been heavily investing in drone technologies in order to boost its military powers.