AFP
 
Washington, May 17: Commercial satellite imagery has revealed an extensive nuclear missile site in central China with nearly 60 launch pads for medium-range missiles capable of striking Russia or India, a researcher said on Friday.

The images from ‘Google Earth’ show different types of launch pads, command and control facilities, and missile deployment equipment at a large facility in downtown Delingha, said Hans Kristensen, a researcher with the Federation of American Scientists.

“The US government often highlights China’s deployment of new mobile missiles as a concern, but keeps the details secret, so the discovery of the deployment area provides the first opportunity for the public to better understand how China operates its mobile ballistic missiles,” he wrote.

The find comes only two weeks after the discovery of a secret Chinese nuclear submarine base on Hainan Island in south China sea, also using commercial satellite imagery and published by Jane’s Intelligence Review. The latest images were posted along with Kristensen’s analysis on the website of the Federation of American Scientists.

Kristensen said the imagery revealed missile launch sites along a 275-kilometres (170 miles) stretch of highway leading from the city of Delingha through Da Qaidam to Mahai in the northern part of Qinghai province. Thirty-six launch pads were arrayed in three strings extending north of the highway and west of Delingha.

Another 22 launch pads were detected in an area running west of Da Qaidam to Mahai, according to Kristensen’s analysis.

“From these launch pads Dong Feng- 21 (DF-21) missiles can be fired within the range of southern Russia and northern India (including New Delhi), but not Japan, Taiwan or Guam,” he wrote.