China Has Nine Brigades Of ICBMs, Web Site Claims

China has nine brigades of ICBMs, Web site claims

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiw.../27/2003265211

CNA , TAIPEI
Wednesday, Jul 27, 2005,Page 2

The 2005 US report on Chinese military power has a previously undisclosed part that says China has nine brigades armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US, claims an article on a Web site which specializes on China's military weapons.

The article, carried by the Web site www.zgjunshi.com, claims that the unreleased part of the Pentagon report released July 19 says that three of the nine brigades are equipped with Dong Feng-31 land-based mobile strategic missiles, with the other six armed with Dong Feng-5 ICBMs.

In addition, China's 094 nuclear submarines, armed with strategic missiles, have undertaken many secret sea trials.

These submarines could become China's new, less expensive way of deploying ICBMs, the article quotes the undisclosed part of the Pentagon report as saying.

China plans to have six Type 094 nuclear-powered submarines armed with strategic ballistic missiles and four Type 093 nuclear attack submarines, so that the nation would have the capability to launch a second wave of nuclear strikes, according to the Web site.

It also claims that the US is concerned about China's development of cruise missiles and that currently China has two brigades equipped with these missiles.