preface
On September 25, the mainland launched an intercontinental ballistic trajectory again after 44 years and successfully landed in the designated area.
Perhaps this seems normal to everyone, after all, the mainland has already mastered this technology, and it is not unique to the mainland, and it seems not unusual for the world's mainstream powers to master it equally.
But in fact, just before the launch of the mainland, the three major military powers of the United States, Russia and Britain had actually all failed...
ICBMs
On September 25, 2024, China once again demonstrated its formidable military power to the world.
At the launch site on Hainan Island, a Dongfeng-X intercontinental ballistic missile soared into the air, dragging a long flaming tail into the sky.
Just over 20 minutes after launch, the DF-X missile crossed a distance of 12,000 kilometers and accurately hit the predetermined target area in the Pacific Ocean.
This launch is China's second full-course test launch of an intercontinental missile in 44 years since 1980, and its significance is self-evident.
This astonishing range and speed not only set a new record, but also demonstrated China's outstanding achievements in the field of missile technology.
The 12,000-kilometer range means that the missile can cover almost any corner of the planet, providing China with a truly global strike capability.
The success of this test immediately caused a huge repercussion in the international community, and it was undoubtedly shocking news for China's neighbor Japan:
The entire territory of Japan is within the range of such ICBMs, and given the ultra-high speed and precise positioning of the missiles, Japan's existing defense systems are almost ineffective in coping with them.
In such a situation, in the event of a real military conflict, Japan could suffer a devastating blow in a very short time.
Not only Japan, but even the European United States on the other side of the ocean have also shown great concern about this.
Military experts in United Kingdom and United States said the test once again confirmed that China has a stable and reliable global nuclear strike capability.
At the same time, it also causes them deep concern, because not so long ago they have suffered one defeat after another...
In November 2023, the United States conducted a routine test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
However, the missile, which is hailed as the backbone of United States' nuclear forces, developed an anomaly shortly after launch.
The failure of the ground control center that the missile deviated from the intended trajectory and eventually had to order an emergency detonation not only disgraced the United States military, but also raised questions about United States' nuclear deterrent capabilities.
Then, in March 2024, the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom conducted a test launch of the Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was supposed to be an important demonstration of United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent, but it ended in an even more embarrassing way:
The failure of the missile, which failed to ignite properly after being launched underwater, sinked directly to the bottom of the sea, sparked a strong reaction in United Kingdom, and many people began to question whether United Kingdom is still capable of maintaining its status as a nuclear power.
The most notable is the accident that occurred in Russia in September 2024:
Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces prepare for the first pre-combat test launch of the Sarmat heavy ICBM at the Plesetsk cosmodrome.
But this time it was the worst, the missile exploded directly in the silos, which also led to the death of many Russian officers and soldiers...
Of course, I believe everyone must be very curious, usually ordinary countries will not have nothing to test launch ICBMs, why have they been piled up recently?
Chaotic international situation
The big difficulty is actually very simple, that is, to deal with the international situation:
Historically, China's first test launch of an intercontinental missile in 1980 was completed in an extremely tense international environment.
At that time, China had just won the war of self-defense and counterattack against Vietnam, and at the same time faced dual pressure from the Western camp led by the United States and the revisionist camp of the Soviet Union.
Although China already possesses nuclear weapons, their deterrent power is still limited in the eyes of the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
Without effective means of delivery, they argued, these nuclear weapons could not pose a real threat to the United States mainland, far across the ocean, or even to Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, relatively close.
However, the news of China's successful test launch of an intercontinental missile in 1980 completely changed the situation.
The test sent a clear signal to the world: China already has a long-range nuclear strike capability.
This not only greatly enhanced China's strategic position, but also forced the United States and the Soviet Union to reassess their strategic attitude toward China.
The success of this test launch won China a valuable strategic buffer period, and in the years that followed, China successfully defused many international crises, steadily promoted the policy of reform and opening up, and continued to increase its national strength.
Especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the global strategic landscape has undergone major changes, and the international situation has been relatively relaxed.
Therefore, in general, the main role of international missiles is nuclear deterrence.
Its very existence is a powerful strategic deterrent that can effectively curb the military adversaries of potential adversaries, and it is precisely this deterrent that creates a favorable international environment for China's peaceful development.
However, in recent years, the international situation has once again fallen into turmoil:
The situation in the Middle East continues to be tense, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait is also turbulent from time to time.
As an important component of the strategic nuclear forces, ICBMs have naturally become the focus of attention of all countries.
The United States, United Kingdom, Russia and other countries have successively conducted intercontinental missile test launches, with the aim of demonstrating their strategic deterrence capability to the world, safeguarding national interests, and at the same time trying to influence the international strategic pattern.
China's successful test launch of the DF-X intercontinental missile was also carried out against this background.
This test launch not only demonstrated China's tremendous progress in the field of missile technology, but also conveyed to the world China's firm determination to safeguard national security and core interests.
But people don't know what to say, the good thing is that in the end, only the mainland succeeded, and other countries had some accidents to a greater or lesser extent.
This not only directly proves the reliability and advancement of China's missile technology by comparison, but also reflects the improvement of China's overall national defense science and technology level.
Of course, the mainland has always adhered to a defensive national defense policy and a commitment to not be the first to use nuclear weapons, so the purpose of this missile test is to improve national defense capabilities and safeguard national security, not to target any specific country or region.