China Ballistic Missiles and Nuclear Arms Thread

[shanlung]

I wouldn't be surprised that Chinese latest warhead is more advanced than American's W88 which was designed in 1970s.

But I'd guess that the latest version is called the W88 ALT 370 (First production Dec 2019) would be more advanced than the Chinese one

On the other hand, I will not be surprised 'Murican trying to catch up to Yu Min with W88 ALT 370 , but not quite succeeding. Only those in the know, will know. And very very unlikely that they ever will talk.
And that exclude all the august minds in this forum.

China probably been watching, and laughing from the day their 'Test number 6' shed her light over Lop Nor in June 1967.

I laugh at the innuendoes that China trying to steal 'Murican thermonuke secrets when it is obvious Yu Min configuration was, and still is, so much superior to USA.

More of the lies and smoke and mirrors 'Muricans surround themselves with and used to smear China.

 

[SPOOPYSKELETON]

Anyone have any books on the history of China's nuclear program?

 

[antiterror13]

Anyone have any books on the history of China's nuclear program?

try "China Builds the Bomb" book

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[shanlung]

Question 1: Since the W88 warhead weights 360kg, but only has a yield of 475 kilotons, while the 250 kg warheads of the DF-41 have a yield of 650 kilotons, I wonder if the DF-41 warheads could be considered a "superior" and more efficient design? Also, the 165kg warhead of the DF-41 has a yield of 150 kilotons, which is bigger than the 165kg W76 warhead's yield of 100 kilotons. Still the image above could be false, so I reserve my judgements.

Question 2: If the image above shows info that are true, I wonder how the Chinese were able to fit 650 kilotons of explosive power into a 250 kg warhead when the W88 weights 360kg. Clearly the Chinese warheads are more efficient and deadly than American late 1980s designs if the image above shows real info.

Might make interesting reading for you and others interested in this topic.

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"Weapon designer Theodore Taylor wrote in 1987 that 6 kiloton/kilogram had been pretty much the upper limit of what had even been achieved.

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Only a handful of weapons got close to that. "

 

[Broccoli]

Anyone have any books on the history of China's nuclear program?

Not directly a book about Chinese weapons but author actually visited Chinese labs and this book has good chapter about it.

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[rambo54]

gentlemen - I have a question: is there any DF-4 unit left and if so, to which msl BGD do they belong? - Latest IISS wallchart shows 631/633/661/662 all as DF-5 units

 

[antiterror13]

gentlemen - I have a question: is there any DF-4 unit left and if so, to which msl BGD do they belong? - Latest IISS wallchart shows 631/633/661/662 all as DF-5 units

yes, still there. But will continue to serve as a regional deterrence instrument until they can be replaced by the DF-31

Still effective against India and others though

 

[Totoro]

As far as I have read on this forum, df4 was retired. Df26 and df31 replaced it.

 

[Broccoli]

the DF-4 (CSS-3) – is down to a single brigade and will likely be retired in the near future.

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[rambo54]

Many thanks for all the responses! I know Hans Kristensens "Chinese nuclear forces, 2019". Just wonder to which BGD they are attached - maybe to one of the DF-5 units (e.g. 631 Tongdao region or 662 Sundiancun - which saw some interesting re-construction activities in the years)...