The DF-41's solid propellant uses a three-stage engine to reach ranges between 12,000-15,000km (7,456-9,320 miles) - capable of covering all of the US mainland - with speeds of up to Mach 25.

" China has consistently adhered to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, always maintaining its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security, and does not engage in an arms race," ...

The DF-41’s road-mobile and solid-fueled design addresses vulnerabilities in China’s older nuclear arsenal, which relied heavily on silo-based, liquid-fueled missiles like the aforementioned DF-5.

China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) ...

Previously, China’s most advanced known ICBM was the DF-41, a road-mobile ICBM that can carry at least three multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicle, or MIRV, warheads.

China’s DF-41 has the flexibility of being silo-based or going on the road. This makes it much harder for other countries to keep track of where they are and to destroy them in the event of war.

The report estimated that by 2022, China had around 300 ICBMs, including the DF-31 and DF-41, with ongoing construction of three new solid-propellant silo fields.

China's DF-26 IRBM is a two-stage missile capable of reaching targets out to roughly 4,000 km. The weapon entered service in 2016 after being officially unveiled during China's 2015 parade ...

Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-41 ballistic missiles roll during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing, Oct. 1, 2019. The case for U.S ...

The DF-26 missile was first unveiled at China's 2015 parade commemorating the end of World War II and has quickly become one of the more concerning missiles in its inventory, as it allows China to ...