This could be a concern for India. Commercial satellite images have revealed an extensive nuclear missile site in Central China with nearly sixty launch pads for medium range missiles which are capable of striking Russia as well. These images, from Google Earth show the various kinds of launch pads, command and control facilities, and missile deployment equipment at a large facility in downtown Delingha.

 

According to Hans Kristensen, who is a researcher with the Federation of American Scientists, the US government has time and again highlighted China's deployment of new mobile missiles as a concern but it doesn't divulge in the secrets. Now, these discoveries of the deployment area provide the first ever opportunity for the public to better see and understand how China operates its ballistic missiles.

 

This find comes just after two weeks 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. These latest images were posted on the website of the Federation of American Scientists along with Kristensen's analysis. Hans said that the imagery revealed missile launch sites along a 170 miles stretch of highway which leads to the city of Delingha through Da-Qaidam to Mahai in the northern part of the Qinghai province.

 

Twenty two launch pads were detected in an area running west of the Da-Qaidam to Mahai. According to the analysis, thirty-six launch pads were seen in three different strings which were extending towards the north of the highway and west of Delingha. The report further mentioned that from these launch pads DF-21 missiles would be within easy range of Southern Russia and northern part of India, which includes New Delhi, but not Japan, Taiwan or Guam. DF-21s are solid fuel missiles which have a medium range that have been replacing China's older DF-3 and DF-4 liquid based missiles.

 

Kristensen also said that the images show what looks like buried command and control bunker which are marked by antennas at each of the deployment sites. The images reveal what appears to be the headquarters of a missile brigade base with structures that look like tents of identical sizes and designed as structures previously detected on DF-21 launch pads.