China's military has test‑fired its DF‑26 intermediate ballistic missile, which reportedly has the capacity to strike moving warships.
The missile is nicknamed the "Guam killer" because US military bases on the Pacific island are within its range.
Chinese state media reported that the tests were conducted in an undisclosed location in China's north‑west.
Beijing announced that it had deployed the missiles to a desert area in that region earlier this month, one day after a US freedom of navigation exercise in a section of the South China Sea that Beijing claims is its territory.
Footage of the test broadcast on state television showed the missiles being launched into the air, as well as close‑up images of its design, but did not feature the weapons striking any targets.
The missiles are believed to be able to strike targets up to 4,500 kilometres away, putting the Pacific island of Guam in range. The US territory hosts Air Force and Navy bases.
[Source: abc.net.au]
