Underground Great Wall of China

The Underground Great Wall of China (Chinese: 地下长城[1] ) is the informal name for the vast system of tunnels China uses to store and transport mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles.[2]

Description

Due to the great secrecy surrounding the tunnels, not much information about them is publicly available; however, it is believed that the tunnels allow for mobile ICBMs to be shuttled around to different silos, and possibly stored in reinforced underground bunkers. This greatly enhances the ICBM's chance of survival in a direct nuclear strike, which enables their use in a second strike unlike ICBMs based in static nuclear silos which generally do not survive a direct nuclear attack.

A report written by a Georgetown University team led by Phillip Karber conducted a three-year study to map out China’s complex tunnel system, which stretches 5,000 km (3,000 miles). The report determined that the stated Chinese nuclear arsenal is understated and as many as 3,000 nuclear warheads may be stored in the tunnel network.[3][4] This hypothetical maximum storage or basing capacity along with Karber's own misconceived fissile production suggestions,[5] resulted in Western media purporting that 3,000 warheads were actually in the facility. The Karber study went on to state that the tunnels are not likely to be breached by conventional or low-yield earth-penetrating nuclear weapons such as the B61-11.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. 黄子娟 (2009-12-13). "探秘中国"地下长城" 战略导弹库可承受核弹攻击" [Discover the Secretive "Underground Great Wall" Of China, Strategic Missile Armory That Can Withstand Nuclear Attack]. People's Daily (in Chinese). Yangtse Evening Post. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
  2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/georgetown-students-shed-light-on-chinas-tunnel-system-for-nuclear-weapons/2011/11/16/gIQA6AmKAO_story.html
  3. http://www.powerandpolicy.com/2012/01/31/chinas-underground-great-wall-subterranean-ballistic-missile/#.VlJzD3arSUk
  4. http://archive.defensenews.com/article/20130105/DEFREG02/301050003/New-U-S-Law-Seeks-Answers-Chinese-Nuke-Tunnels
  5. Collected Thoughts on Phil Karber by Jeffrey Lewis | December 7, 2011
  6. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/12/14/2009121400292.html
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-03-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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