China's revamped missile force holds exercises

The PLA's missile strike force, an independent unit at par with the army, navy and airforce, has carried out exercises to test its personnels' ability to launch multiple missiles in war.
State television CCTV showed the missile force, which has been re-designated as People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force (PRF) with Strategic Support Force (SSF) providing cyber and electronic backup, conducting exercises.
The drills were aimed at testing the emergency response and defence capabilities of the force, which was launched by President Xi Jinping at a ceremony here two days ago, the report said.
Soldiers need to launch the missiles independently and the combat capability calls for more practice, an officer, who took part in the drills, said.

The exercises were aimed at testing the capability of the soldiers to launch various missiles independently, the report said.
It is an annual plan of the force which will focus on collective launch of various types of missiles and test various types of missiles in a war-like situation using information technology, the report said.

Inaugurating the forces, Xi who is the Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) which oversees all military forces, said the formation of the PRF and SSF is a major decision by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) to realise the Chinese dream of a strong military, and a strategic step to establish a modern military system with Chinese characteristics.

The two new forces will not be "subordinating forces", official media reports earlier said.
The PRF with variety of long, medium and short range missiles in its armoury will carry on as a strategic deterrence force while the job of the SSF will be to provide proper electronic intelligence to it in times war, officials said.
The new forces which is part of the cyber warfare will play in important role China's plans to win "information wars", media reports said.
It will be a key milestone in the modernisation of the Chinese military and will be recorded in the history of the people's armed forces, said Xi.

He said the PLA Rocket Force is a "core force of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the country's position as a major power, and an important building block in upholding national security".