US Federation of Scientists, "China Building Over 300 New Nuclear Weapon Silos"

"Unprecedented Nuclear Force Expansion in China"
Nuclear Warheads May More Than Double

A view of the suspected missile hangar site in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, captured by satellite. [Image source=Federation of American Scientists (FAS) website]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has warned that China is making significant progress in the construction of missile hangars estimated to be capable of storing more than 300 new nuclear missiles, which could represent an unprecedented expansion of its nuclear forces. Alongside recent news that China successfully test-fired a hypersonic missile capable of neutralizing missile defense systems (MD), the possibility of nuclear force enhancement has been raised, and it is expected that the U.S. will further strengthen its efforts to check China's military power.

On the 2nd (local time), FAS posted a report on its website regarding China's missile hangar construction, warning based on newly acquired satellite images that construction presumed to be hangar facilities is significantly progressing at three locations: Wiman in Gansu Province, Hami in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ordos in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

FAS analyzed that, based on the scale of these hangars, China could store more than 300 additional nuclear missiles. China currently possesses approximately 250 to 350 nuclear warheads, and if all the missiles under construction are stored in these hangars, China's nuclear forces could potentially double, FAS explained.

FAS also stated that satellite image analysis shows that infrastructure facilities necessary for operating large missile hangars, such as support bases, warhead support facilities, and power supply facilities, are being constructed at these sites. In particular, at the construction sites in Hami and Ordos, large complex facilities possibly related to missile or warhead component handling or command bunkers are estimated to be under construction, FAS explained.

Furthermore, besides these three hangars, FAS pointed out that buildings presumed to be hangars are also under construction at a training base near Zhilantai of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF). FAS stated, "At the construction site near the Zhilantai training base, circular or long and short rectangular covers were installed but have recently begun to be removed," adding, "After the covers were removed, evidence suggesting hangar construction has become stronger."

Matt Korda, FAS project manager, and Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project, who authored the report, emphasized in an interview with CNN, "The Chinese government has neither officially confirmed nor denied that these facilities are missile hangars," but "U.S. officials appear to have confirmed that the reported missile hangar sites are related to China's nuclear modernization program." They added, "This represents an unprecedented expansion of China's nuclear forces," explaining, "It will still take several years for the missile hangar sites to be fully operational, and it remains to be seen how China will arm and operate them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.