China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force is reportedly disguising its mobile DF-series intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers as construction cranes, blending strategic military assets with civilian infrastructure to enhance survivability. Recent open-source imagery, reviewed by defense analysts and reported today by Defence Blog, shows convoys of these missiles traveling on highways under yellow tarps branded with Zoomlion logos, a widely recognized Chinese construction equipment manufacturer.

The camouflage tactic is intended to make it difficult for foreign intelligence or reconnaissance to identify missile movements, effectively hiding nuclear-capable assets in plain sight. Analysts note that such deception increases the survivability of China’s strategic forces, complicating potential targeting in a crisis scenario.

According to the 2024 SIPRI Yearbook, China possesses over 500 operational warheads, with a growing portion mounted on mobile DF-series ICBMs. The use of civilian-style disguise demonstrates a sophisticated approach to force protection, merging strategic deterrence with domestic infrastructure patterns.

Open-source imagery and videos circulated on social media show multiple DF-series launchers covered with tarps and moving alongside actual industrial vehicles, making detection challenging even for satellite surveillance. Defense experts argue that this illustrates Beijing’s emphasis on mobility and concealment as key components of its nuclear strategy, alongside modernization and expansion of its strategic arsenal.

The tactic reflects broader trends in Chinese military innovation, where conventional and unconventional methods are integrated to maintain strategic advantage and complicate adversary planning in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.