DF-21
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| DF-21/CSS-5 Mod 1 |
|
|---|---|
 DF-21A and transporter erector launcher vehicle at the Beijing Military Museum. |
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| Type | MRBM/IRBM |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1991 |
| Used by | Second Artillery Corps |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | possibly the 4th Academy? |
| Unit cost | ? |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | >14,700 kilograms (32,000 lb) |
| Length | 10.7 metres (35 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) |
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|
|
| Warhead | 1 Nuclear, 200-300 KT |
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|
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| Engine | Solid fueled |
| Wingspan | ? |
| Operational range |
2,150 kilometres (1,340 mi) (DF-21)[2] 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) (DF-21A) 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) (DF-21 ASBM) |
| Flight altitude | ? |
| Speed | Mach 10[1] |
| Guidance system |
Inertial |
| Launch platform |
Mobile launcher or silo |
The Dong-Feng 21 (DF-21; NATO reporting name CSS-5 - Dong-Feng literally means "East Wind") represents China's first solid-fuel land-based missile. Development started in the late 1960s, and was completed around 1985-86 but was not deployed until 1991. It appears to be a land-based version of the JL-1 missile launched from submarines.
The U.S. Department of Defense estimates that China has 60-80 missiles, and 60 launchers.[3] As well as a nuclear warhead of around 300kt, it is thought that high explosive, submunition and chemical warheads are also available.
Contents |
[edit] DF-21A/CSS-5 Mod 2
The DF-21A was operational by 1996 and has improved accuracy, with both GPS and a radar-based terminal guidance system in a redesigned nose. It is thought to have a lower yield, around 90kt, but longer range (up to 2500 km).
[edit] Anti-ship ballistic missile
The US Department of Defense has stated that China is developing a high hypersonic[4] land-based anti-ship ballistic missile based on the DF-21, with a range of up to 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi).[5][6] These would combine manoeuvrable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) with some kind of terminal guidance system. Such a missile may have been tested in 2005-6, and the launch of the Jianbing-5/YaoGan-1 and Jianbing-6/YaoGan-2 satellites would give the Chinese targeting information from SAR and visual imaging respectively.
[edit] KT ABM/ASAT
KT series anti-ballistic / anti satellite missiles is reportedly a series of highly classified and thus little known missiles based on DF-21. Designed to intercept ballistic missiles and satellites, KT series utilizes experience gained from earlier FJ ABM developed decades earlier. Four models of KT series have been developed so far, including KT-1, KT-2, KT-2A and KT-III:
- KT-1: designed to engage sub-orbital targets.
- KT-1A: upgraded KT-1
- KT-409: upgraded solid-fuelled variant
- SC-19: KT-1 variant
- KT-2: designed to engage low earth orbit (LEO) targets at altitude up to 600 km.
- KT-2A: designed to engage polar orbital targets.
- KT-III: designed to engage targets at altitude 1000 km or higher.
It's rumored that there are other versions of KT under development, but these claims have yet to be verified.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ https://www.usni.org/forthemedia/ChineseKillWeapon.asp
- ^ The Federation of American Scientists & The Natural Resources Defense Council Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning p. 202
- ^ Military Power of the People’s Republic of China 2008, Office of the Secretary of Defense, p. 56 (p66 of PDF), http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf
- ^ https://www.usni.org/forthemedia/ChineseKillWeapon.asp
- ^ Military Power of the People’s Republic of China 2008, p. 2 (p12 of PDF)
- ^ "How China could scupper US naval power". SCMP. 10/1/2009. http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=c5e8d58715cbe110VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News. Retrieved on 2009-01-10.
[edit] External links
- Claremont Institute description
- Global Security description
- Sinodefense description
- Encyclopedia Astronautica description
| Preceded by DF-5 |
DF-21 1999- |
Succeeded by DF-31 |
