by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal at an unprecedented pace, according to a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report. The report warns that growing capabilities could boost Chinese leaders’ confidence and increase the risk of dangerous mistakes—raising the potential for escalation in the coming years.
China is rapidly advancing its nuclear capabilities at a faster rate than any time in history, surpassing 2018 projections with over 500 deliverable warheads, according to the DIA report.
The report “Nuclear Challenges” projects that by 2030, China will have over 1,000 operational warheads, with most capable of reaching the continental United States.
“China is undergoing the most rapid expansion and ambitious modernization of its nuclear forces in history — almost certainly driven by an aim for enduring strategic competition with the U.S. and a goal to actualize intensified strategic concepts that have existed for decades but are now being realized,” the report said.
In addition to expanding its nuclear arsenal, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken a sweeping modernization campaign, achieving several key milestones over the past five years.
China has established the air leg of its nuclear triad with the H-6N bomber, capable of aerial refueling and carrying nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missiles, first showcased in the 2019 Chinese National Day parade.
China has expanded its arsenal of road-mobile DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), dubbed the “Guam killer” for their ability to target U.S. forces on the Pacific island. According to the report, these missiles represent Beijing’s first precision-strike nuclear-capable weapons.
China’s military has added two more Type 094 JIN-class submarines, increasing the fleet to six. It has also upgraded its missile systems with the longer-range JL-3 submarine-launched missile, which can reach the U.S. from secure areas like the South China Sea.
The report detailed how China has also deployed the DF-31 road-mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) with enhanced survivability and introduced the DF-41, its first road-mobile ICBM equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This weapon can carry up to three warheads and offers greater range and accuracy than earlier models.
Finally, the report warned that as China strengthens its nuclear capabilities, its leaders may become more confident but more prone to dangerous mistakes. The report concluded that with the PLA still figuring out how to use these new weapons effectively, the chances of escalation could increase in the coming years.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has met victims’ families and survivors of Australia’s worst-ever terrorist and antisemitic attack that killed more than a dozen people, amid mounting tensions between the two nations.
Efforts to dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure in Gaza are moving forward according to plan, despite tensions surrounding the ceasefire, a senior official involved in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative told Ynet in an exclusive report Wednesday.
As diplomatic talks continue between Washington and Tehran, new reports from inside Iran describe intensifying repression and widespread fear among ordinary citizens.
U.S. President Donald Trump met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for nearly three hours Wednesday, with both leaders confirming that negotiations with Iran remain ongoing but no final agreement has been reached.
The Pentagon has instructed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for potential deployment to the Middle East as the United States increases military readiness in response to rising tensions with Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Authorities in the U.S. state of Arizona detained a suspect Tuesday in connection with the reported abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of American television host Savannah Guthrie, as the high-profile investigation entered its ninth day.
Nine people were killed Tuesday in a mass shooting in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, and at least 27 others were injured, authorities confirmed late Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Canada in recent years.