China’s DF-26 “Carrier-Killer” to Become Low-Yield Nuclear Weapon

Video Above: Columbia-class Submarine

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

A Pentagon report on China’s military raises the concerning possibility that the People’s Liberation Army may well convert its well-known DF-26 “carrier-killer” anti-ship missile into a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon.

This presents new threat dimensions given the range and scope of the weapon, which is widely reported to be capable of hitting large Navy surface platforms with precision guidance from ranges up to 2,000 miles.

DF-26 Missile

“The DF-26 is the PRC’s first nuclear-capable missile system that can conduct precision strikes, and therefore, is the most likely weapon system to field a lower-yield warhead in the near-term. PRC military writings in 2012 noted that the introduction of new precise small-yield nuclear weapons could possibly allow for the controlled use of nuclear weapons,” DoD’s 2021 “Report on Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China” states.

Discussion about the prospect of any kind of “limited” or “targeted” nuclear engagement using tactical, lower-yield weapons has received much attention in recent years following Russia’s violation of the INF Treaty and pursuit of low-yield nuclear weapons. These developments generated significant concern at the Pentagon and were likely part of the rationale for the Trump administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. 

The NPR report launched a large-scale effort to build new low-yield nuclear weapons such as a submarine-launched, nuclear-capable cruise missile and a reconfigured submarine-fired Trident II D5 armed with low-yield warheads. Several years ago, former Defense Secretary James Mattis said part of the intent with the 2018 NPR’s call for new low-yield weapons was to bring Russia back to the negotiating table following its INF violations. The Pentagon report makes it clear that China appears to have taken notice.