China Unveils DF-26D “Guam Killer”

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

In a dramatic development in Asia’s missile race, China has unveiled a new variant of its feared Dong Feng-26 ballistic missile family, a system long known to US military planners as the “Guam Killer,” a ballistic missile targeting Guam, Washington’s main military base in the Pacific.

The missile, named DF-26D, was first detected during a rehearsal ahead of the Victory Day Parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

His public appearance comes as tensions in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the Western Pacific are at their highest in decades, with the United States and its allies bolstering their military presence to counter Beijing's rising power.

The presence of the missile in day and night rehearsals in central Beijing shocked the global strategic community, as photos and videos of the system were widely circulated on social media and international defense forums.

Military observers insist that the DF-26D is not just a minor upgrade, but rather a potentially balance-of-power missile with the ability to threaten aircraft carriers, naval fleets and American military bases as far away as Guam.

While Beijing remains tight-lipped about its technical details, the missile is seen as the latest evolution of the DF-26 family that adds a higher level of destruction to the system that is the backbone of China's anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy.