China Ballistic Missiles and Nuclear Arms Thread

[Broccoli]

Here are some examples of other countries squeeze payload into their missiles... French and Russian prefer to install their somewhat canted position while American warheads are usually pointing straight up (probably due US having slimmer RV's).

Peacekeeper.

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French TN-71 150kt mirvs installed on M4 or M45 SLBM (diameter 1,93m).

550kt RT-23 (diameter: 2,41m) mirvs.

I posted these originally back in 2013 so if you can't see pics above they can be seen here.
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/ch...nuclear-arms-thread.t5881/page-85#post-241468

 

[Tirdent]

Or straight down...



(Early 1980s R-29R 3x200kt).

Appears to be a Makeyev OKB thing, even the unrelated, solid propellant R-39 adopts this configuration.

BTW, the Trident family SLBMs also have canted warheads - it's a popular way to better accommodate nosecone taper.

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[Broccoli]

Or straight down...

View attachment 55245

(Early 1980s R-29R 3x200kt).

Appears to be a Makeyev OKB thing, even the unrelated, solid propellant R-39 adopts this configuration.

BTW, the Trident family SLBMs also have canted warheads - it's a popular way to better accommodate nosecone taper.

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Bulava also has it's warheads also pointing down.

 

[Broccoli]

I have seen just one slide about the JL-2C. Some claim the JL-2C and JL-3 are same missile. I am not so sure. JL-2C can carry up to 4-MIRV. The range of the original JL-2 is not enough to reach the ConUS. It's range is about 7200 km to 7400 km. JL-2C may have increased that to between 8000 km to 9000 km depending warhead count. I think JL-3 might be a completely separate system with the possibility of carrying 6 - 10 MIRV at a range of 10,000 km.


View attachment 42227

Sorry for quoting years old post but what was source of this pic? Those look like original 200kt JL-1 warheads.

 

[Broccoli]

Did they mention during the parade if JL-2 and DF-31AG are mirv capable? They did that with DF-41 and DF-5. If they didn't then we can be somewhat sure that DF-31AG carries only one warhead per missile.

 

[taxiya]

Did they mention during the parade if JL-2 and DF-31AG are mirv capable? They did that with DF-41 and DF-5. If they didn't then we can be somewhat sure that DF-31AG carries only one warhead per missile.

I am not sure of any guess (yes or no). Chinese political language is much more reserved and restrained than other countries in general. Not saying anything just mean "I am not telling anything".

 

[Broccoli]

I am not sure of any guess (yes or no). Chinese political language is much more reserved and restrained than other countries in general. Not saying anything just mean "I am not telling anything".

I don't think it's politics as they openly mentioned that both DF-5 & DF-41 are mirv capable while said nothing like that about DF-31 and JL2.

There are few article what tell Chinese govt sources saying that DF-31AG has improved strike capabilites but that could mean anything from new warhead to improved pen aids or the fact DF-31AG is off-road capable. I'm still on the camp where DF-31 series missiles are single warhead until we get legit info proving otherwise.

 

[Deino]

Via @大脚丫的汤婆婆 from Weibo

 

[taxiya]

Via @大脚丫的汤婆婆 from Weibo

View attachment 55406

That would be the largest ballistic missile ever. Wrong thread perhaps?

 

[AndrewS]

600 nuclear warheads

It's the first authoritative estimate of the Chinese nuclear arsenal that I've seen in a long while.

China’s nuclear arsenal was strikingly modest, but that is changing
It is developing new bombs, new missiles and new ways of launching them
...
Because new weapons require warheads, nuclear modernisation is also driving nuclear expansion. China’s armed forces “doubled their nuclear arsenal in about the last decade, and they’re on track to double it again in the next decade”, noted Rear Admiral Michael Brooke, director of intelligence for America’s Strategic Command, in August. Though 600 warheads would still be just a tenth of the American or Russian total, it would increase pressure on China to join arms-control talks with those countries.

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