About Dongfeng-17 (DF-17):
- It is a Chinese solid-fueled medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile.
- It was officially unveiled in 2019.
- Its NATO code name is CSS-22.
- Features:
- It is said to have a range of 1800 km to 2500 km.
- It is mounted on a mobile launcher.
- It carries a hypersonic glide vehicle DF-ZF (HGV — Hypersonic Glide Vehicle).
- Its operation is as follows:
- The missile is launched outside the atmosphere like a classic ballistic missile.
- At a certain altitude, the DF-ZF warhead separates.
- The warhead reenters the atmosphere, but instead of descending in a straight line like ballistic missiles, it “glides” in the atmosphere with its fins.
- While gliding, it changes direction and maneuvers. Its speed is approximately Mach 5-10.
- This flight profile allows the vehicle to remain below radar detection for longer durations than a ballistic missile covering the same distance.
