While China has said that the road-mobile DF-17 is a conventional platform, the Pentagon has determined that it may be equipped with nuclear warheads. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s Dong Feng-17 (DF-17) hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV)-powered medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) has been designed to strike foreign military bases and fleets in the Western Pacific, a US Pentagon report said.

In its 2022 China Military Power Report (CMPR), the US Department of Defense (DoD) said that the DF-17 is transforming the People Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) missile force. “The system, fielded in 2020, is possibly intended to replace some older short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) units,” the DoD added, citing Chinese media.

“The DF-17 passed several tests successfully and is deployed operationally. While the DF-17 is primarily a conventional platform, it may be equipped with nuclear warheads,” the Pentagon said. Citing a claim by a Chinese military expert, the Pentagon added that the “primary purpose of the DF-17” is striking bases and fleets in the Western Pacific.