China unveiled the new intercontinental strategic core rocket DF-5C on Wednesday (3) during the V-day military parade, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese Volks War of Resistance to Japanese aggression and in the Second World War.
According to experts, the weapon has an estimated scope of more than 20,000 kilometers and can cover the world.
The liquid fuel rocket combines technologies developed in the Dong Feng (DF) series, in which both improvements of the DF-5 models and the more modern DF-41 are integrated.
+ Video: Ukrainian troops destroy Russian armored voyage in Zaporizhzhia
According to Professor Yang Chengjun, Rakinthe Technology and Nuclear Disarm Specialist, quoted by the Global Times state medium, the system has “significant strategic value” for China’s national defense.
Characteristics of the DF-5C
Yang emphasized six main characteristics of the new rocket:
- New modular structure-The DF-5C is transported in three sections by different vehicles, making the preparation and response time faster than with predecessors.
- Scope of more than 20,000 km – able to affect every military goal worldwide that pays a nuclear threat to China.
- Multiple launching methods-In the tradition of the DF series, this increases operational flexibility.
- High flying speed – At speeds of dozens of mach, the interception window of rocketing weather systems is drastically reduced.
- MIRV capacity-can wear several independently oriented return vehicles, equipped with nuclear or conventional nuclear heads and lures, which makes enemy defense more difficult.
- Advanced precision-uses slowness guidance, star navigation and the Chinese Beidou system, which guarantees high accuracy, even on very long distances.
Strategic Context
The Chinese government confirms that it is sticking to a defensive nuclear strategy, with the policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and without threat against non-nuclear states or nuclear-free zones.
According to Yang, the presentation of the DF-5C and other strategic weapons during the military parade has symbolic and political significance. “These weapons remind the Chinese people to not forget history and at the same time show that the country is prepared to cope with external threats in an increasingly complex and challenging safety environment,” he said.
The DF-5C core rocket is expected to be part of China’s strategic arsenal in the coming years, which strengthens the deterrent capacity and consolidates its position as one of the world’s main military superpowers.
Source and images: Global Times / CCTV. This content was created with the help of AI and has been checked by the editors.
