China Ballistic Missiles and Nuclear Arms Thread

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Xizor

Captain
Registered Member
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.
 
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antiterror13

Brigadier
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

Captain
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

Brigadier
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
 

Hyperwarp

Captain
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

Brigadier
Registered Member
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.
 

Orthan

Senior Member
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.
 
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