In 2021, open-source researchers observed the construction of several hundred new missile silos. These include the Type 096 ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and its JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), as well as the nuclear-capable H-20 stealth bomber currently under development, further strengthening China’s emergence as a fully fledged nuclear triad power. Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesThe DF-5 and its improved variants remain in service as China’s last liquid-fueled ballistic missiles. Models of the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile, DF-21C medium-range ballistic missile, DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, and DF-41 ICBM exhibited at the Hangzhou Innovation Research Institute of Beihang University in Zhejiang province, China on May 10, 2026. China’s bewildering array of intermediate-, medium-, and short-range ballistic missiles will be discussed in a forthcoming article.