While the prime suspect behind leaked Pentagon papers was arrested on Friday, the revelations it has made are doing rounds every new day. Now, the center of the controversy is China's secret weapon especially developed to penetrate the mainland USA Air Defence System. Yes! you heard it right. As per the leaked US secret documents, the most shocking and eyebrow raising claims it has made is about China’s secret DF-27 ICBM test. As per the leaked US classified documents, America did not publicize China's secret ballistic missile, however it is indeed a reason to worry. The Washington Post reported that Beijing conducted a test with its latest advanced experimental missile, the DF-27 ICBM, on February 25, 2023. According to the document, the vehicle flew for 12 minutes over 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) and had a “high probability” of breaching American ballistic missile defense systems. The leaks have, thus, exposed the massive leaps that Beijing has made in its hypersonic program.
All about China's secret ballistic missile as per leaked Pentagon papers
“The DF-27 is designed to enhance [China’s] ability to hold targets at risk beyond the Second Island Chain and possesses a high probability of penetrating US ballistic missile defense,” according to the daily intelligence update published on February 28 and has since been leaked online. As per US media, previously a defense department report noted in 2021 that the missile had a range of 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers. This means that the DF-27 can reach any target in East or Southeast Asia and a significant portion of the Pacific, including Guam, home to strategic US military bases.
The new missile has a “hypersonic glide” capability in addition to its increased range, making it a more powerful “carrier killer” than its predecessors by being able to maneuver to escape American and ally missile defenses, according to an opinion piece written by Josh Rogin. It is pertinent to mention here that details about the latest hypersonic missile remain scarce, some previous reports have identified the DF-27 as belonging to the same third-generation of China’s strategic nuclear weapons as the DF-41.
The reports also noted that the DF-27’s 4,500–7,000 kilometers range is comparable to that of the DF-4 or DF-4A. It is expected to be equipped with a hypersonic weapon designed and tested to attack the US mainland or a naval facility in Hawaii.
Who is Jack Teixeira? 21-year-old National Guardsman arrested over leaked Pentagon documents
Pentagon leaker arrested
The FBI on Thursday arrested a 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard named Jack Douglas Teixeira. As per reports, Jack Teixeira is the person behind leaking 50s and 100s of classified Pentagon documents which included a range of topics relating to the war in Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and Africa. Among the many classified information, the leaked Ukraine war plans gained international traction including from Russia as well. At first the leaked US documents were sighted as fake, however, later, the Pentagon confirmed the security lapse and the Justice Department said it had opened an investigation into the leaks and was in communication with the Defense Department but declined to comment further.