DF-5 transporter?
BTW, specs of Chinese ICBMs went high heavens on the Wiki. The DF-41 is a 91 ton missile and the DF-5 is a 312 ton missile. The DF-5 carries 12 1Mt warheads. Wiki says so LMAO.
China ICBM/SLBM, nuclear arms thread
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
BTW, specs of Chinese ICBMs went high heavens on the Wiki. The DF-41 is a 91 ton missile and the DF-5 is a 312 ton missile. The DF-5 carries 12 1Mt warheads. Wiki says so LMAO.
Actually emplacement has been shot on satellite in Jilantai, length is around 20.5m.
By my rudimentary measurement, supposing the width of vehicle is around 3.3m - 3.5m, the length of vehicle is then around 25m - 26m and the cargo part is around 23m - 24m which is well enough to place an entire ICBM on the back of it.
But I fail to understand the necessity of deploying such vehicle even if they are needed to transport/emplace a heavier ICBM, which can be installed stage by stage and warhead part is always installed separated after the ICBM is placed into the silo.
Not likely to be DF-5 transporter.
DF-5 is carried on trailer truck in two parts and quite recognizable on the satellite image. Well, the picture could even be PS'ed or not even in China but who knows.
My few cents:
If said vehicle is a TEL - Rumored DF-51?
If said vehicle is a loader - Hypothetical DF-5E? or DF-6 FOBS (revived version, as reported in summer 2021)?
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My first if is a big IF the image is unaltered and in China.
The vehicle has a camouflaged and flat top, not like a civilian vehicle, the loader in Jilantai silo field doesn't even has a camouflaged cover. The cabin room is not split like DF-41 or Yars, making its unlikely to be an ICBM.
My measurement here:
| Vehicle Length | Cargo Length | Vehicle Width |
| 340 pixels | 315 pixels | 45 pixels |
| TEL length | 22m | 25m | 26.5m | 28m |
| TEL width | 3.3m-3.5m | 3.3m | 3.5m | 3.7m |
| Cargo length | 22m | 23.1m | 24.5m | 26m |
| My guess | DF-41, based on satellite image | DF-41 loader? | DF-45 ICBM/loader? | DF-45 ICBM/loader? |
hypersonic missile is more deadly than aircraft carrier imo.
a long range hypersonic missile can hit continental US radar, shipyard, manufacturers.
there is no defense against it. it forms a plasma that absorb all radar signals.
for desperate option, the enemy needed 10 antimissile to attempt to shoot one down. it will bankrupt them financially.
a long range hypersonic missile can hit continental US radar, shipyard, manufacturers.
there is no defense against it. it forms a plasma that absorb all radar signals.
for desperate option, the enemy needed 10 antimissile to attempt to shoot one down. it will bankrupt them financially.
Supposedly the image is unadultered and is taken over China:
There seems to be a step-down/dent-down in the middle of what is supposed to be the cabin section, based on the shadow on the ground to the front of the vehicle (circled in blue).
If not, was it an optical illusion?
What is the expected specs for the DF-45 ICBM? 16000 to 18000-kilometer range with MIRV?
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Maybe the total size of the "cargo" actually includes some additional support and/or loading equipment, and that the actual length of the missile it's carrying is shorter than the cargo length that we see -- perhaps it includes the solid fuel stages while the final stage and warhead bus is to be installed separately as you describe.
AFAIK, both US and Russia load their ICBM separately, at least set warhead+bus and missile boosters apart. Especially larger ICBM is normally loaded separately between stages, Peacekeeper was loaded in several parts by a much smaller vehicle than the one in satellite image.
I will attach video and picture later in this post. Because it is weird that the suspected vehicle looks like a compact TEL instead of a semi-trailer trucker that US and Russia use to transport their ICBM. It is not like China doesn't have similar thing in inventory, for instance, Tianzhou was also transported in containers by semi-trailer truck.
First of all it is unlikely to be civilian given the camo it has and secondly it is not necessary to transport or erect a large solid ICBM in its whole and it is usually done by different vehicle in practice.
It only needs 13,000km to cover the entire CONUS from silos fields. If the suspected DF-45 is as twice heavy as DF-41, then I would say it will carry around at least 5 - 6 * 650kt warheads on its top.
Peacekeeper ICBM emplacement:
Russian story is also similar, the warhead + bus was installed by much smaller vehicle.
ICBM transporter：
Chinese erector for ZK-1A:
Animation on how Chinese heavy solid rocket transports and erects:
Yeah, so my theory is that perhaps what we are seeing in that picture is only the solid fuel stages, and that the total length of the "cargo" is a reflection of the solid fuel stages with some integrated emplacement/craning equipment.
And that the warhead+bus is separate.
To me, the thing doesn't necessarily look have to be a TEL, it just looks like a big multi-wheeler truck carrying a large semi-cylindrical or even rectangular cargo behind.
In other words, it very much could be consistent as a transporter for some stages (perhaps the first and second stages at least) of a heavy silo ICBM, perhaps where the transporter itself has some onboard empalcement/craning/erector equipment onboard. This would still leave the warhead+bus to be loaded separately on another vehicle.
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Twice as heavy as DF-41 would make it 120 tons, which is excessive for a silo-based ICBM expected to be fielded in quantity. A 75-85 ton rocket is sufficient for the payload you describe, even going by the very conservative 450 kg weight for the 535 warhead and a 1 ton bus.