The DF-27, one of China's most advanced hypersonic missiles, has never been officially unveiled, but appeared in a video from an unidentified source circulating on Chinese social media in August 2022, ahead of a series of major military exercises around Taiwan, according to the South China Morning Post ( SCMP ).
However, the source revealed that the DF-27 had been put into service some time before 2019 and had been deliberately kept under wraps after the DF-17 hypersonic missile took center stage at that year's parade in Beijing. "The DF-27 had been in service with the rocket force before 2019, but the PLA [Chinese military] did not want to reveal its 'trump card' so early," the source asserted.
DF-17 hypersonic missile at the 2019 Beijing parade
"As one of the powerful weapons capable of targeting Guam (US) like DF-26, DF-27 is designed to carry different warheads, one HGV [hypersonic glide vehicle] or multiple warheads when needed to attack different targets," the source said.
The source added that the DF-27 shares common characteristics with the DF-17, which has a range of 1,500 km and can travel at speeds of more than 6,125 km/h, and the DF-21D missile, also known as the "carrier killer" that can carry multiple warheads and has a range of 1,800 km.
Can the US missile defense system be penetrated?
The Pentagon first mentioned the DF-27 in its 2021 annual report, assessing that the missile has a range of 5,000 to 8,000 km, enough to attack the state of Hawaii (USA) from mainland China.
The DF-27 also appeared in a series of recently leaked US intelligence documents. According to those documents, the PLA conducted a successful DF-27 test on February 25 and concluded that there was a high possibility that the missile could penetrate US missile defense systems.
The source confirmed the information in the documents, adding: "The PLA needs to conduct continuous tests on the DF-27, a missile with a very complex operating system, despite having been in use for several years."
"With its hypersonic speed and longer range [than the DF-17 and DF-26], testing the DF-27 will ensure the missile's trajectory is more stable, otherwise the missile's precision strike capability will be affected," the source said.
China's DF-26 missile
Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said the DF-27 is an upgraded version of the DF-17, while the DF-26 is an upgraded version of the DF-21D. The DF-26 is known as the “Guam killer” because its range is about 3,500 km, enough to reach this US territory, according to SCMP .
However, the PLA wants a missile with a longer range because it does not want to deploy all of its most advanced ballistic missiles in coastal areas, the source said.
The DF-27 is part of the PLA's strategy to bolster anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities, but will not target US states that the DF-27 can reach, such as Hawaii or Alaska, but instead target key bases in Japan and Guam, according to SCMP .
America's response
Taiwan-based military expert Lu Li-shi said the US had known about the PLA's plans to develop the DF-27 for several years and responded by overhauling its air defense system on Guam, including adding Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, according to SCMP .
"The US has deployed Patriot air defense systems to Guam, but they are not capable of detecting and intercepting incoming HGV missiles due to their limited high-altitude interception capabilities. However, the THAAD system can intercept targets such as the DF-26 and even the DF-27 when the missiles are in mid-course or outside the atmosphere," Lu commented.
Watch the US THAAD air defense system test intercepting missiles
In March, the Pentagon announced it would invest $1.5 billion to enhance Guam's air defense capabilities in fiscal year 2024.
In addition to THAAD, Guam is also protected by the Aegis defense system from US warships. The US Army is also planning to provide lower-level air and missile defense sensors and upgraded Patriot systems to counter new missile threats from China and the DPRK, according to the US Air and Space Force magazine.
There is currently no information about China's reaction to the above revelation.
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