DF-41

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
DF-41
Type ICBM (complete)
Place of origin People's Republic of China
Production history
Manufacturer China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Specifications
Weight ~80,000 kilograms (180,000 lb)[1]
Length ~21 metres (69 ft)[1]
Diameter ~2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)[1]
Warhead Thermonuclear weapon, possibly up to 10 MIRVs (single 1 Mt or MIRV with selectable 20, 90, 150, 250 kt)[1]
Engine Three-stage Solid-fuel rocket
Operational
range
 ~12,000–15,000 kilometres (7,500–9,300 mi)[1]
Speed Mach 25 (30,600 km/h; 19,000 mph; 8.51 km/s)[2]
Guidance
system
 Inertial with BeiDou
Launch
platform
 Silo, road-mobile Transporter erector launcher

The Dongfeng-41 (DF-41, CSS-X-10) (Chinese: 东风-41; literally: "East Wind-41"), is a Chinese nuclear solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile.

It has an estimated operational range of between 12,000 km[3] to 15,000 km.[1] This could make the DF-41 the world's longest ranged missile, surpassing the range of the US LGM-30 Minuteman which has a reported range of 13,000 km.[4][unreliable source?] It is believed to have a top speed of Mach 25,[2] and to be capable of MIRV delivery (up to 10).[3] The development of the MIRV technology is reported to be in response to the deployment of the United States national missile defense system which degrades China's nuclear deterrence capability.[5] The project started in 1986,[3] and may now be coupled with the JL-2 program.

Air Power Australia reported that the DF-41 was cancelled pre-2000, with the technology developed transferred to the DF-31A.[3][6] Missilethreat.com reported that it was unclear if the program was restarted after suspension in 2002.[7] It was incorrectly anticipated that the DF-41 would be delivered to the Second Artillery around the year 2010.[3][8] Some military experts had expected that it could be unveiled at the 2009 National Parade.[9] However, rehearsals of the military parade did not feature this missile.

American conservative website Washington Free Beacon reported that the DF-41 had its first flight test on July 24, 2012.[10] The U.S. Department of Defense made no reference to this claimed test in its 2013 report to Congress,[11] but the Free Beacon reported in 2014 that U.S. officials had said by then that the DF-41 was test launched twice since 2012.[12]

In April 2013, Taiwan's National Security Bureau head reported to the Legislative Yuan that the DF-41 was still in development, and not yet deployed.[13]

The U.S. Department of Defense in its 2013 report to Congress on China's military developments made no explicit mention of the DF-41, but did state that "China may also be developing a new road-mobile ICBM, possibly capable of carrying a multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV)", which may refer to the DF-41.[11] Later in 2013 the Washington Free Beacon reported that the second launch test took place on December 13, 2013 from the Wuzhai missile launch center in Shanxi province to an impact range in western China, according to officials familiar with details of the tests.[14]

In August 2014, China Shaanxi Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center website accidentally made a news report about events of setting environmental monitoring site for DF-41 ICBM. This is the first official proof available in public and it also proves the developments of DF-41 is nearing the end. This news report (and the whole website) was taken down shortly after getting public attention.[15]

Richard Fisher, an expert on Asia-Pacific military affairs, says that a typical Second Artillery Corps unit has 6-12 missile launchers and may have an additional 6-12 "reload missiles", i.e. missiles to be launched after the first missile with which the launcher is equipped are launched, indicating 12-24 DF-41 missiles per one unit and giving a single SAC unit the capability to target the contiguous United States with 120-240 nuclear warheads.[16]

The Washington Free Beacon claimed that China had test-launched a DF-41 using multiple reentry vehicles for the first time on 13 December 2014.[17] China soon confirmed that the launch occurred, saying it has a legitimate right to conduct scientific tests within its border, and that they are not targeting any country and does not affect their policy of not using nuclear weapons first in a conflict. The launch took place at the Wuzhai Missile and Space Test Center in central China and impacted in the west of the country, closely monitored by U.S. satellite and electronic monitoring gear.[18]

In August 2015, the missile was flight-tested for the fourth time.[19]

In December 2015, the missile was flight-tested for the fifth time. The latest flight test demonstrated the use of two multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. The missile launch and dummy warheads were tracked by satellites to an impact range in western China.[20]

On 5 December 2015 China conducted a launcher test of a new rail-mobile version of the DF-41, similar to the Russian RT-23 Molodets.[21][22]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.armedforces-int.com/news/china-reports-df-41-icbm-test-launch.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/mineman3.htm
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ China test fires new long-range missile | Washington Free Beacon
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Pentagon Confirms New Chinese Long-Range ICBM Development
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ http://freebeacon.com/china-conducts-second-flight-test-of-new-long-range-missile/
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://freebeacon.com/national-security/chinese-government-website-confirms-new-multi-warhead-icbm/
  17. ↑ China Tests ICBM With Multiple Warheads - Freebeacon.com, 18 December 2014
  18. ↑ Chinese Military Confirms DF-41 Flight Test - Freebeacon.com, 26 December 2014
  19. ↑ http://missilethreat.com/china-tests-new-missile-capable-of-hitting-entire-united-states/
  20. ↑ http://freebeacon.com/national-security/china-flight-tests-multi-warhead-missile/
  21. ↑ http://www.janes.com/article/56860/china-developing-new-rail-mobile-icbm-say-us-officials
  22. ↑ http://freebeacon.com/national-security/chinese-defense-ministry-confirms-rail-mobile-icbm-test/
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=DF-41&oldid=4216329"