Quoted in Washington Times Article—“PLA: War Games Practice for a Taiwan Takeover”
Bill Gertz, “PLA: War Games Practice for a Taiwan Takeover,” The Washington Times, 31 December 2025.
Disclaimer: The perspectives expressed here are those of the author alone, based solely on open sources. They do not represent the views, policies, or positions of the Naval War College, the Department of the Navy, or any other organization of the U.S. government.
Naval analyst: PLA planned missile strikes on U.S. homeland revealed
Andrew S. Erickson, a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute, identified new Chinese missile threats to the American homeland revealed in the Pentagon’s latest annual China military power report.
“Arguably, one of the most significant revelations is that America’s homeland is not a sanctuary from either nuclear or conventional missiles,” Mr. Erickson stated on his website in analyzing the latest Pentagon study. “Per the report’s Fielded Conventional Strike graphic, China has deployed a conventional [intercontinental ballistic missile] capable of partially ranging America’s homeland.”
The latest report revealed that the People’s Liberation Army’s DF-27 is a deployed missile system with ICBM range. The missile can be armed with several payloads, including conventional or nuclear warheads, an anti-ship warhead and hypersonic glide vehicle.
“The report underscores that China has the world’s leading hypersonic missile arsenal,” Mr. Erickson stated. “It highlights land-attack and anti-ship missile families — including DF-17 and YJ-21 — as well as longer-range ballistic missile families (DF-21, DF-26, DF-27) whose reentry vehicles or glide payloads can maneuver at hypersonic speeds.” … …
“This cogently explains why China has already pursued (successfully) the world’s most dramatic military buildup since World War II, why it continues to advance rapidly today, and why, under Xi, the aforementioned nuclear developments are a prioritized component thereof,” Mr. Erickson said.
Disclaimer: The perspectives expressed here are those of the author alone, based solely on open sources. They do not represent the views, policies, or positions of the Naval War College, the Department of the Navy, or any other organization of the US government.
PUBLICATIONS CITED HERE, TOGETHER WITH RELATED ANALYSIS:
- Andrew S. Erickson, “The Pentagon’s New China Report: ‘Conventional’ ICBMs, More Nuclear Weapons and New Aircraft Carriers on the Horizon,” 19FortyFive, 29 December 2025.
- Andrew S. Erickson, “Corruption, Cashiering, Continued Progress: New China Military Power Report Probes PLA Leadership and Organizational Trends,” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国, 28 December 2025.
- Andrew S. Erickson, “World’s Fastest Nuclear Force Ramp-Up: Strengthening for China’s 2027 Goal Despite Disciplinary Removals,” China Analysis from Original Sources 以第一手资料研究中国, 27 December 2025.
- Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s DF-27 Missile: Threatening Pacific Ships and the U.S. Homeland,” The Maritime Executive, 26 December 2025.
