DF-15

The DF-15, also known by the NATO reporting name CSS-6, is a Chinese road-mobile short-range ballistic missile. It is one of the systems most closely associated with short-notice regional strike scenarios around China's periphery, including Taiwan-related contingencies. Its importance comes from mobility, readiness, and the ability to mass fires against fixed military targets.

The DF-15's tactical value lies in fast ballistic delivery from mobile launchers. It can be used to threaten nearby airfields, command facilities, radar sites, and logistics nodes, especially when fired in salvos with other missile systems. Later variants and improved accuracy increased its relevance for conventional precision-strike missions.

Operationally, the DF-15 is most powerful as part of a larger missile campaign rather than as a single weapon. Salvos of short-range ballistic missiles can suppress air bases, delay sorties, and force defenders to spend interceptors. This campaign-level context makes the page more informative than a bare range and payload entry.