The Dongfeng series, typically abbreviated as "DF missiles", are a family of short, medium, intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles operated by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force.
The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a second-generation two stage Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile. It has a length of 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 13,000 to 16,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later. One of the limitations of the missile is that it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to load with liquid fuel (UDMH) and N2O4 oxidiser.
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, 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 controls China's arsenal of land-based ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missiles—both nuclear and conventional. The armed service branch was established on 1 July 1966 and made its first public appearance on 1 October 1984. The headquarters for operations is located at Qinghe, Beijing. The PLARF is under the direct command of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission (CMC).
The Dong Feng 31 is a third-generation long-range, road-mobile, three stage, solid-fuel rocket intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the Dongfeng missile series developed by the People's Republic of China. It is designed to carry a single 1-megaton thermonuclear weapon. It is a land-based variant of the submarine-launched JL-2. It is operated by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF). In 2009, the Chinese inventory was estimated as under 15 DF-31 missiles and under 15 DF-31A missiles. US Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center estimates that as of June 2017, five to ten Mod 1 and over fifteen Mod 2 launchers were operationally deployed.
The Dongfeng 21 (DF-21; NATO reporting name CSS-5 - Dong-Feng is a two-stage, solid-fuel, single-warhead medium-range ballistic missile developed by China's Changfeng Mechanics and Electronics Technology Academy. A part of the Dongfeng missile family, the DF-21's development started in the late 1960s, and it was completed around 1985–86, but not deployed until 1991. It was developed from the JL-1 submarine-launched missile, and is China's first solid-fuel land-based missile. The U.S. Department of Defense in 2008 estimated that China had 60-80 missiles and 60 launchers; approximately 10-11 missiles can be built annually.
The TAIAN TA580/TAS5380 is a 20-ton 8x8 special heavy duty truck developed and built by Taian Special Vehicle Manufactory and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China as a transport/Transporter erector launcher.
The WS2400 is a 8x8 special heavy-duty truck developed and built by Wanshan Special Vehicle and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China as a transporter erector launcher (TEL) platform and is a reverse engineered version of the MAZ-543 missile Transporter erector launcher.
The WS2300 is a general purpose 16 tonne 6x6 special heavy duty truck made by Wanshan Special Vehicle Factory and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China.
The WS2500 is a 20-ton 10x10 special heavy duty truck used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the principal mobility platforms in mounting China's medium-range ballistic missiles and other conventional missile assets.
MZKT is a manufacturer of heavy off-road vehicles, especially military trucks, based in Minsk, in Belarus; it was formerly a division of MAZ. MZKT civilian trucks are branded VOLAT. MZKT specializes in the production of on-road and off-road heavy-duty vehicles and trailers for them, as well as special wheeled chassis for installation of various equipment for enterprises and transport organizations of the construction, oil and gas and engineering industries.
Wanshan Special Vehicle, officially Hubei Sanjiang Space Wanshan Special Vehicle Co., Ltd (Ch:湖北三江航天万山特种车辆有限公司), is a truck and bus manufacturer in China. Its WS-series military trucks are used by the People’s Liberation Army; it is a major manufacturer of transporter erector launchers (TEL).
The RS-26 Rubezh, designated by NATO as SS-X-31, is a Russian solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a nuclear warhead, of which the range bracket just barely classifies it as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is equipped with a thermonuclear MIRV or MaRV payload, and is also intended to be capable of carrying the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. The RS-26 is based on RS-24 Yars, and constitutes a shorter version of the RS-24 with one fewer stages. The development process of the RS-26 has been largely comparable to that of the RSD-10 Pioneer, a shortened derivative of the RT-21 Temp 2S. Deployment of the RS-26 is speculated to have a similar strategic impact as the RSD-10.
The Dong Feng-26 or DF-26 is an intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force and produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The WS51200 is an extremely large heavy goods vehicle built by Wanshan Special Vehicle in China, converted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea into a single-use transporter erector launcher (TEL). The WS51200 is one of the largest in the WS family of transport trucks and TELs. The size of the WS51200 allows it to carry intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The TAIAN TA5450/TAS5450 is a 25 ton transporter erector launcher that primarily carries ballistic missiles. However, it is also able to carry other weapon systems such as rockets and conventional missiles. Despite sometimes being called the TA5450, the actual official designation of the vehicle is the TAS5450. The TA5450 is actually the designation of the vehicle's base chassis, while the TAS5450 refers to the vehicle itself.
The WS2600 is a 22.5 ton 10x10 transporter erector launcher (TEL) used by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force of the People's Republic of China. It is, along with the smaller WS2500, one of the principal mobility platforms in mounting China's medium-range ballistic missiles.
The Hanyang HY4260 is a model of military tractor trucks developed, produced and used by the People's Republic of China. These vehicles are primarily used to mount Beijing's ballistic missile family and are used in conjunction with other transporter erector launchers, to further bolster China's ballistic missile capabilities.
The Hanyang HY4330 is a large model of military tractor trucks developed and produced by the Hanyang Special Purpose Vehicle Institute, which in turn is used by the People's Republic of China. These trucks behave essentially like conventional transporter erector launchers and as such, are used primarily to offer Beijing second strike nuclear capabilities; bolstering China's ballistic missile capabilities.
The Taian HTF5980 is a large transporter erector launcher used exclusively to carry the DF-41 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. It is the largest known TEL used by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force and the most powerful in terms of carrying capacity.
