New Silo Type Built at 1 st Test and Training District in Jilantai

China Aerospace Studies Institute  |  Eli Tirk

The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force has constructed a novel, multi-cell fixed launch system at the 1st Test and Training District in Jilantai, potentially enhancing China's conventional quick-strike capabilities. This newly identified infrastructure appears designed to support short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, directly threatening United States forces and allied assets within the First Island Chain.

Historically reliant on mobile launchers, the Chinese military is expanding its tactical options to include hardened, high-volume vertical launch systems. These shallower silos, measuring between 6.4 and 11.8 meters deep, are optimized for conventionally armed platforms like the DF-21 or DF-17 rather than nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. Utilizing these fixed systems allows the military to mass fires rapidly, reducing launch signatures while deterring foreign intervention in a Taiwan conflict. However, these static installations present a distinct strategic trade-off, as their permanent locations are highly visible, creating a critical use-or-lose escalation dynamic.

Comment

Fixed, multi-cell conventional launchers complicate air defence planning along the Line of Actual Control. Unlike mobile launchers, these static installations allow concentrated salvos capable of overwhelming India's S-400 Triumf systems. This shift towards hardened infrastructure suggests a doctrinal preference for pre-emptive strikes to neutralise command nodes. Consequently, New Delhi must accelerate the deployment of the Pralay ballistic missile to ensure prompt retaliatory options.

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