PLA Rocket Force's DF-17 hypersonic missile launch vehicles drive in orderly formation in a line on a rural road. Photo: Screenshot from the China Military Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center

Footage released by state media on Monday showed a rare scene of at least six DF-17 hypersonic missile launch vehicles of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force appearing together in a single frame. 

A military affairs expert told the Global Times that the missile has been mass-deployed and is on combat duty.

The clip, released by CCTV News, is from the latest episode of the PLA documentary series "Zhìshèng" (Victory). In the video, a line of DF-17 transporter erector launchers (TEL) is seen driving in orderly formation on a rural road, with at least six vehicles captured in the footage.

The footage indicates that the DF-17 has been mass deployment and reached full combat capability, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Monday.

As the world's first officially fielded waverider hypersonic missile, the DF-17 is a core asset capable of changing the rules of modern air defense warfare. Leveraging its hypersonic penetration advantage, it can precisely strike enemy forward air defense positions and key command targets, Zhang said.

Zhang noted that the DF-17 does not rely on fixed launch silos, allowing it to evade enemy reconnaissance and targeting. It is difficult for enemy satellites to track its operational patterns, significantly enhancing its battlefield survivability and making it suitable for various complex field combat scenarios, with strong anti-jamming and precision strike capabilities. 

The missile can glide at extremely high speeds while maintaining significant lateral maneuverability, with no fixed flight trajectory. Traditional air defense systems cannot stably track or lock onto its path, making it difficult to intercept effectively, the expert said.

As conventional medium-range missiles, the DF-17 range covers key targets within the first island chain, including strategic locations in Japan and other regions, providing a powerful strategic deterrent. This is a critical capability for China to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang noted. 

On June 22, CCTV News publicly displayed the DF-17 in launch configuration for the first time. The footage from the combat-oriented exercise showed at least two missile launch vehicles lined up on a highway, missiles raised, and conducting simultaneous salvos.

"Highway launches are just one of the modes shown in the video, and the key is to launch as quickly as possible from accessible roads. As long as the TELs are deployed, the process of erecting and launching missiles can be completed. If alternative locations are available, the closest site should be chosen for faster response," military affairs commentator Du Wenlong was quoted by CCTV News as saying, commenting on the tactical advantages this would offer in combat.

Coordinated multi-vehicle salvo launches by are a standard operational capability, playing a crucial role in both launch site security and strike effectiveness, Du said.

The DF-17 missile made its public debut at the 70th anniversary National Day military parade in 2019. The missile features all-weather capability, independent launch capability and strong penetration capabilities, enabling precision strikes against medium- and short-range targets, CCTV reported.

"In addition to a longer vehicle body and more wheels [of the TEL], the biggest change in the DF-17 is the shape of the missile itself. Unlike the cone-shaped warhead we are familiar with from past models, the DF-17's warhead has undergone significant changes, and now features four wings and a tail fin. This design reflects a more scientific and advanced concept, with the missile capable of flexible and varied flight trajectories and greatly enhanced penetration capabilities," Gong Chunyu, a training staff officer from the DF-17 conventional missile formation, was quoted by CCTV as saying at the time.