China Ballistic Missiles and Nuclear Arms Thread

[Xizor]

only 3 countries in P5 have ICBM (USA, Russia and China). UK and France never have ICBM ..... but they do have SLBM

China already have had ICBM since 1981 when DF-5 successfully in service 1981, almost 40 years ago. Imagine the technology gap China was in 1981 compared to now 2019

I was of the belief that the French used to have an ICBM capability. Turns out they only had IRBMs. Good to know.
But the liquid propellant DF-5 were nevertheless technologically inferior. I believe that solid propellant powered are better due to ease of mobility and deployment ?. Other factors like Astro-Inertial Guidance technology, MIRVing, warhead miniaturization, onboard circuit protection, Range etc need to be considered.

 

[antiterror13]

I was of the belief that the French used to have an ICBM capability. Turns out they only had IRBMs. Good to know.
But the liquid propellant DF-5 were nevertheless technologically inferior. I believe that solid propellant powered are better due to ease of mobility and deployment ?. Other factors like Astro-Inertial Guidance technology, MIRVing, warhead miniaturization, onboard circuit protection, Range etc need to be considered.

well, the original DF-5 is of course obsolete, it was 50 years ago. But it did the job well as a deterrent against USSR. But the latest DF-5 ... DF-5B/C are very very modern and capable. None of the original DF-5 in service anymore

 

[Hyperwarp]

No, they didnt tell me. Why didnt they show the DF-41, and why does china have that many ICBM programs?

That many? In production I believe they have only 2 programs. DF-31AG and DF-41.
DF-5 will likely be replaced by DF-41
DF-4 will be replaced by DF-31.
No need to produce more DF-31A since the DF-31AG is now in service. DF-31 when through multiple evolutions leading to the DF-31AG .

DF-4 and DF-5 will go away when they have sufficient DF-31AG and DF-41.

 

[antiterror13]

That many? In production I believe they have only 2 programs. DF-31AG and DF-41.
DF-5 will likely be replaced by DF-41
DF-4 will be replaced by DF-31.
No need to produce more DF-31A since the DF-31AG is now in service. DF-31 when through multiple evolutions leading to the DF-31AG .

DF-4 and DF-5 will go away when they have sufficient DF-31AG and DF-41.

I don't think DF-5B/C will be retired soon even China has enough DF-41.

China has invested a lot of money in developing vast network underground for DF-5, still very good

DF-41 is mobile while DF-5 series is silo based

 

[Orthan]

In production I believe they have only 2 programs. DF-31AG and DF-41.

I wonder why. They are both mobile. What are the differences betwen the two?

 

[Hyperwarp]

I wonder why. They are both mobile. What are the differences betwen the two?

For one, the number of warheads that can be carried. I think the DF-41 is the only mobile ICBM that can theoretically carry up to 10 MIRV. It probably costs a fair bit more than the DF-31AG.

 

[taxiya]

I wonder why. They are both mobile. What are the differences betwen the two?

Besides the MIRV mentioned by @Hyperwarp in #2906, DF-41 is a lot longer (5m) than DF-31AG, meaning much longer range. DF-31AG is about to reach western Continental US, DF-41 is to cover most of it down to Florida.

 

[taxiya]

Well, then there must be a reason why they didnt show it at the 2017 parade in northern china.

DF-41 has been seen running around on its TEL in northern China since (no later than) 2017. So PLA did show it. Why not the parade? One may ask why should they? PLA is not Hollywood or SpaceX to show everything in a TV show for money or for bragging.

 

[Orthan]

Besides the MIRV mentioned by @Hyperwarp in #2906, DF-41 is a lot longer (5m) than DF-31AG, meaning much longer range. DF-31AG is about to reach western Continental US, DF-41 is to cover most of it down to Florida.

I dont think that it is cost-effective to invest resources to develop an ICBM and at the same time developing another one with much added range. IMO, perhabs DF-31AG was developed as a fallback plan. After all, its based on DF-31, unlike DF-41 which is AFAIK a totally new missile (but i could be very wrong on that).

PLA is not Hollywood or SpaceX to show everything in a TV show for money or for bragging.

The chinese love to show their most powerful equipment on their parades, unlike the soviets that IMO took more than a decade showing the same equipment on their annual parades.

 

[AssassinsMace]

Has China shown a DF-41 at a parade? I don't see Type 99As at the Russian tank Olympics. Maybe they don't exist because they haven't done that.