Everything about Df-5 totally explained
The
Dongfeng 5 or
DF-5 is a 3 stage
Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later. One of the downsides of the missile is that it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to fuel.
History
The DF-5 was designed under the leadership of Tu Shou'e [屠守锷] at the China Academy of Launch Technology (CALT); Li Xu'e) [李绪鄂] served as deputy chief designer. The missile was produced at the China's Factory 211 (Capital Astronautics Co. [首都航天机械公司], also known as the Capital Machine Shop [称首都机械厂]).
When the DF-5 was first tested in September 1971, it had a range of 10,000 to 12,000 km which allowed it to threaten the western portions of the United States. Beginning in 1983 the Chinese inaugurated the improved DF-5A, with range increased to over 13,000 km and a more accurate guidance system. The DF-5A upgrade increased the
throw-weight of the system from 3,000 kg to 3,200 kg.
Deployment
As with the
DF-4, initially the DF-5 was stored in a horizontal position in tunnels under high mountains, and are launched immediately outside the mouth of the tunnel. The missiles must be moved into the open and fueled prior to firing, an operational mode dubbed
chu men fang pao (shooting a firecracker outside the front door), with the fueling operation apparently requiring about two hours. The initial deployment of a pair of DF-5s in
silos in Central
China was completed in 1981. That portion of the DF-5A force that's deployed in silos could be maintained in a ready-to-fire status. In order to enhance the survivability of these missiles, China has constructed a large number of decoy silos which consist of shallow holes excavations with headworks that resemble operational silos.
MIRV Upgrades
The current force of DF-5A missiles is deployed with a single warhead, but in November 1983 China inaugurated a DF-5 modification program to arm these ICBMs with
MIRVed warheads. Technical difficulties, however, have stalled the program. The DF-5A was the designated recipient of the MIRVs, although there's no evidence that they've been deployed. Some sources claim that at least four DF-5As have already been
MIRVed, though it's generally asserted that while MIRVing may occur within the next few years no DF-5s have yet been fitted with MIRVed warheads.
According to the
National Air Intelligence Center, as of 1998 the deployed DF-5 force consisted of "fewer than 25"
missiles. As of early 1999 the total deployed DF-5 force was generally estimated at about 20 missiles. By mid-2000 some sources suggested that the total force was as many as 24~36 deployed missiles ["InsideThe Ring" by Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times
July 28,
2000].
Further Information
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