The Dong Feng 4 () or DF-4 (also known as the CSS-3) is a first-generation two-stage
Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons ...
with liquid fuel (
Nitric acid
Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available ni ...
/
Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine
Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH; 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, НДМГ or codenamed Geptil) is a chemical compound with the formula H2NN(CH3)2 that is used as a rocket propellant. It is a colorless liquid, with a sharp, fishy, ammonia-like smell ...
). It was thought to be deployed in limited numbers in underground silos beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Dong Feng 4 has a takeoff thrust of 1,224.00 kN, a takeoff weight of 82000 kg, a diameter of 2.25 m, a length of 28.05 m and a fin span of 2.74 m. The range of the Dong Feng 4, which is equipped with a 2,190 kg
nuclear warhead
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
with 3.3
Megaton yield, with a nominal range of 5,500 km. This gives it sufficient range to strike targets as far away as Russia, India, and American bases in the Pacific. The missile uses an
inertial guidance
An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors ( accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (d ...
system, resulting in a large
CEP
''Boletus edulis'' (English: cep, penny bun, porcino or porcini) is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus ''Boletus''. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occu ...
of 1,500 meters. As of 2017, 10–15 launchers are deployed.
History
The decision to develop the DF-4 was made in 1965 in response to the U.S. ballistic missile submarine patrols that began operating out of Guam. The missile's designer has been variously identified as
Ren Xinmin Ren or REN may refer to:
Abbreviations
* Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia
* Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portuguese company
* Renanthera, abbreviated as Ren, orchid genus
* Ringer equivalence number ...
or
Tu Shou'e ��守锷 and it was produced at Factory 211 (Capital Astronautics Co.
��都航天机械公司 also known as Capital Machine Shop
��都机械厂.
In 1972 US intelligence estimated an IOC for this system as being expected in 1974 or 1975. Deployment actually began in 1975–76, but only four DF-4s were believed to be in place by 1984.
There were two versions of the missile developed, one version housed in caves or garages to be rolled out on launch and another silo based version.
The US DoD estimates that the missile will continue to serve as a regional deterrence instrument until they can be replaced by the
DF-31. This will be a significant capability gain for the
Second Artillery Corps
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF; ), formerly the Second Artillery Corps (), is the strategic and tactical missile force of the People's Republic of China. The PLARF is the 4th branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and c ...
. The DF-31A has a range of 11,700 kilometers (as opposed to just 7,000 for the DF-4) and is road- and rail-mobile, and thus more survivable than the silo-based DF-4.
Operators
* : The
People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF; ), formerly the Second Artillery Corps (), is the strategic and tactical missile force of the People's Republic of China. The PLARF is the 4th branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and ...
is the only operator of the Dong-Feng 4.
References
External links
AstronautixDongFeng 4 (CSS-3) Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile - SinoDefence.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Df-4
Intercontinental ballistic missiles of the People's Republic of China
Nuclear missiles of the People's Republic of China
Military equipment introduced in the 1970s