The PLA Rocket Force

The PLA Rocket Force, the pillar of the nation's strategic deterrent, is probably the best in the world in terms of the variety of missiles it uses－it has at least nine different ground-to-ground missiles, including the DF-31A intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-15B short-range ballistic missile and the CJ-10A ground-launched cruise missile, according to PLA Daily.

The latest additions are the DF-16 short-range ballistic missile, the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile and the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

The Rocket Force said the DF-21D is its "trump card" in asymmetric naval warfare, while the DF-26 can destroy fixed targets and moving targets on the ocean. They are probably the only ballistic missiles in the world capable of destroying vessels as large as aircraft carriers, Chinese media reported.

Military experts said the DF-16 has a strike range of more than 1,000 km, boasts a similar level of accuracy as a cruise missile and can undertake terminal maneuvers to penetrate defensive firepower.