The Pentagon says China has fielded a new long-range missile. Here's why the DF-27 is unusual.

"China appears to have fielded a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-27, which can range the continental US and, unlike other ICBMs, serve a mix of missions, including targeting ships, a new Pentagon report says. The Department of Defense's annual report on the Chinese military, the latest of which came out last week,is the first public assessment that the missile is operational. The missile is said to have a land-attack and anti-ship role."

"The latter role is unusual for an intercontinental-range ballistic missile, as is its conventional strike role documented in the new Pentagon report. ICBMs are primarily for nuclear strike. The latest report offers little on the new missile beyond a map showing China's "fielded conventional strike." The DF-27, identified as an ICBM with a range of 5,000 to 8,000 km, shorter than some other systems built for strategic nuclear strike, is a new addition to that map showing Chinese missile ranges."

China has fielded the DF-27 intercontinental ballistic missile with a confirmed nuclear role and capabilities for conventional land-attack and anti-ship missions. The DF-27 is identified as an ICBM with an estimated range of 5,000 to 8,000 km, enabling coverage of Hawaii, Alaska, and portions of the continental United States depending on launch location. The weapon places naval forces and U.S. military installations across the Pacific at increased risk. The DF-27 has been deployed to the Rocket Force and likely has an option to carry a hypersonic glide vehicle, expanding its mission flexibility beyond traditional nuclear-only ICBMs.

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