DF-41 | |
---|---|
Type | ICBM (complete) |
Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
Service history | |
Used by | People's Liberation Army Rocket Force |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) |
Specifications | |
Weight | ~80,000 kilograms (180,000 lb) |
Length | ~21 metres (69 ft) |
Diameter | ~2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
Warhead | Thermonuclear weapon, 10-12 MIRVs (single 1 Mt or MIRV with selectable 20, 90, 150 kt) |
|
|
Engine | Three-stage Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational
range |
~14,000–15,000 kilometres (8,700–9,300 mi) |
Speed | Mach 25 (30,626 km/h; 19,030 mph; 8.5073 km/s) |
Guidance
system |
Inertial with BeiDou |
Launch
platform |
Silo, road-mobile Transporter erector launcher |
The Dongfeng-41 (DF-41, CSS-X-10) (simplified Chinese: 东风-41; traditional Chinese: 東風-41; literally: "East Wind-41"), is a Chinese solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile.
It has an operational range between 12,000 km to 15,000 km. This would make the DF-41 the world's longest range missile, surpassing the range of the US LGM-30 Minuteman which has a reported range of 13,000 km. It is believed to have a top speed of Mach 25, and to be capable of MIRV delivery (up to 10). 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. The project started in 1986, 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.Missilethreat.csis.org reported that it was unclear if the program was restarted after suspension in 2002. It was incorrectly anticipated that the DF-41 would be delivered to the Second Artillery around the year 2010. Some military experts had expected that it could be unveiled at the 2009 National Parade. 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. The U.S. Department of Defense made no reference to this claimed test in its 2013 report to Congress, 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.
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.