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Liu Zhen

Most of China’s nuclear warheads are located at a single facility in the country’s northwest and could be vulnerable during a conflict, according to a US think tank.
In a report published this month, the US Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute detailed the warhead management and logistical structure of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.
The report, based on open-source intelligence, said much of China’s nuclear stockpile was stored at a single, centralised facility known as Base 67 – or Hongchuan – located deep within the Qinling Mountains.
It is accessible only by a single, narrow road.
“While the facility is hardened and well-guarded against attack, it is a case of highly concentrated risk,” the report said.
It added that blocking the access road could cause serious delays to China’s military operations.
Warheads must be transported from the central storage facility to missile units across the country prior to launch.
According to the report, frequent long-distance movements by railway or road could also increase the chance of an accident. It said that was particularly the case as China expanded its silo fields, with new sites in the northwest expected to become operational in the coming years.
The report also noted that the PLA Rocket Force had rapidly expanded, with an increase in the number of missile brigades under its command of some 35 per cent between 2016 and 2021.
But it said there was “little evidence” of commensurate growth in the corresponding nuclear support units.




The author questioned whether China’s nuclear weapon management system – originally designed for “minimal deterrence” with a smaller scale and simpler structure – might now be overstretched by the increased operational demands, and potentially pushed to the brink of failure during a crisis.
Other potential vulnerabilities within the rocket force were identified in the report, including health issues of personnel that have been disclosed in state media reports to highlight their spirit of sacrifice.
It also highlighted the use of foreign equipment to deal with radioactive materials and clear obstacles, suggesting this could be a possible technology chokepoint.
According to the report, the rocket force also faces challenges in retaining educated and skilled personnel who are required to serve in remote locations at short notice.
The PLA Rocket Force – formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps until it was renamed during military reforms in 2016 – controls China’s ground-based strategic missiles and its nuclear arsenal.
Beijing has reportedly been significantly expanding its nuclear stockpile in recent years.
In the country’s five-year plan to 2030, released last week, Beijing pledged to “strengthen strategic deterrence capabilities [and] safeguard global strategic balance and stability”. That was understood to mean that it aims to increase the nuclear arsenal.
The US think tank report comes against the backdrop of a sweeping campaign to stamp out corruption in the military that has decimated the PLA Rocket Force’s senior leadership in the past couple of years.
The campaign has seen top military officials – including commanders Zhou Yaning, Li Yuchao and Wang Houbin – as well as former defence minister Wei Fenghe being ousted or expelled over procurement and graft scandals tied to the missile force.


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News

China

Military

Much of the stockpile is stored at one facility in the country’s northwest that’s accessible only by a narrow road, according to think tank


Much of the stockpile is stored at one facility in the country’s northwest that’s accessible only by a narrow road, according to think tank.


Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Wei Fenghe

Wang Houbin

Aerospace Information Research Institute (China)

China’s nuclear warhead storage a ‘highly concentrated risk’, US report says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Much of the stockpile is stored at one facility in the country’s northwest that’s accessible only by a narrow road, according to think tank

Much of the stockpile is stored at one facility in the country’s northwest that’s accessible only by a narrow road, according to think tank