People's Liberation Army Rocket Force

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, formerly the Second Artillery Corps, is the <a href="/facts/Strategic_missile/0vKnj2Y7">strategic</a> and tactical <a href="/facts/Missile/C5VwQClz">missile</a> force of the <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Republic_of_China/lTjIXY5p">People's Republic of China</a>. The PLARF is the 4th <a href="/facts/Military_branch/Gzk8yWHD">branch</a> of the <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Liberation_Army/nr4YlS9J">People's Liberation Army</a> (PLA) and controls China's arsenal of land-based ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missiles—both <a href="/facts/China_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction/SeQ2B1CW">nuclear</a> and conventional. The armed service branch was established on 1 July 1966 and made its first public appearance on 1 October 1984. The headquarters for operations is located at <a href="/facts/Qinghe_Subdistrict%2c_Beijing/mKPD4U8G">Qinghe</a>, <a href="/facts/Beijing/Bg4puFBv">Beijing</a>. The PLARF is under the direct command of the <a href="/facts/Chinese_Communist_Party/MwS3Togt">Chinese Communist Party</a>'s <a href="/facts/Central_Military_Commission_(People%2527s_Republic_of_China)/LWQm1vCP">Central Military Commission</a> (CMC).
The name was changed from the PLA Second Artillery Corps to the PLA Rocket Force on 1 January 2016. Despite claims by some, there appears to be no evidence to suggest that the new generation of Chinese ballistic-missile submarines will come under PLARF control.
The PLARF comprises more than 120,000 personnel and six ballistic missile "Bases" (units at roughly <a href="/facts/Corps/m5cpn7ql">corps</a> or <a href="/facts/Army_group/7V8ASpUg">army group</a> grade), plus 3 support Bases in charge of storage, engineering, and training respectively. The six operational Bases are independently deployed in the five <a href="/facts/Theater_commands_of_the_People%2527s_Liberation_Army/TF0a2jle">Theaters</a> throughout China. and each controls a number of brigades.[needs update]
China has the largest land-based missile arsenal in the world. According to <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a> estimates, this includes 400 ground-launched <a href="/facts/Cruise_missile/Frego9PF">cruise missiles</a>, 900 conventionally armed <a href="/facts/Short-range_ballistic_missile/EIosQMpz">short-range ballistic missiles</a>, 1,300 conventional <a href="/facts/Medium-range_ballistic_missile/CD5drvg1">medium-range ballistic missiles</a>, 500 conventional <a href="/facts/Intermediate-range_ballistic_missile/LoJL6GJt">intermediate-range ballistic missiles</a>, as well as 400 <a href="/facts/Intercontinental_ballistic_missile/0vKnj2Y7">intercontinental ballistic missiles</a>. Many of these are extremely accurate, which would allow them to destroy targets even without nuclear warheads. The <a href="/facts/Bulletin_of_the_Atomic_Scientists/TRCfTtsy">Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists</a> and <a href="/facts/Federation_of_American_Scientists/KNjX3s7U">Federation of American Scientists</a> estimated in 2023 that China has a stockpile of approximately 500 nuclear warheads, while a 2024 United States Department of Defense estimate put the number of nuclear warheads at 600. In 2025, FAS estimated the Chinese nuclear stockpile at around 600 warheads (the majority stored and not directly operationally), while the Pentagon estimates that the PRC will have around 1,000 warheads by 2030.

People's Liberation Army Rocket Force open-in-new

People's Liberation Army Rocket Force