China has 10 DF-31 ballistic missiles in service: Pentagon report

[Saifullah Sani]

Intelligence reports from the Pentagon indicated that the Second Artillery Corps, China's strategic missile force, had already put 10 DF-31 intercontiental ballistic missiles into service, according to Moscow's Russian Military Analysis on Jan. 1.

It will only take 30 minutes for the People's Liberation Army to launch a DF-31 missiles into the air. The range of a DF-31 is estimated to be 7,200 kilometers, which is shorter than the DF-5A developed in 1981. When the DF-31 is launched from Central China, it can not even reach the central US. However, the range of a DF-31A, the modified version, has the capability to hit most major targets in the United States since its range is extended to 11,200 kilometers.

China is developing the DF-31 and DF-41 to replace the DF-5A missiles. Even though the DF-5A has a longer range than the DF-31, it can be easily destroyed since the missile is stored in a horizontal position in tunnels under high mountains. In contrast, the DF-31 and DF-41 are both road-mobiles. With the assistance of the Beidou Navigation System, the accuracy of the DF-31 and DF-41 has been enhanced. Like the DF-5A, the DF-41 is also designed to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRVs).

The report estimates China to have 20 DF-5A missiles. In addition, it operated a total number of 30 DF-31 and DF-31A missiles. After the DF-41 begins its service, all DF-5A missiles will be retired. Since it is still very difficult for China to transfer its DF-31 and DF-41 on road-mobile systems easily because of their weight, a senior official in China said that some of DF-41s may still be launched from tunnels under mountains.

China has 10 DF-31 ballistic missiles in service: Pentagon report｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Bullsh1t report.

China had 12 DF-31 missiles during the 1999 parade and 12 DF-31A missiles during the 2009 parade.

And I hope that Pentagon could keep that type of incompetent intel, or they were simply deliberately bashing China's nuclear capability.

 

[C130]

they could have a million DF-31 it matters not.

 

[Steakhouse]

they could have a million DF-31 it matters not.

Why it not matter?

 

[rott]

Why it not matter?

Didn't you know? USA has all the heros like captain American, superman, spiderman, hulk, etc etc... China needs to be worried. We need more than a million DFs, perhaps billions.

 

[C130]

Why it not matter?

because it doesn't matter how many you got or the quality
no one in there right mind would actually use them.
they give you no advantage against another nuclear power.

 

[Zarvan]

Intelligence reports from the Pentagon indicated that the Second Artillery Corps, China's strategic missile force, had already put 10 DF-31 intercontiental ballistic missiles into service, according to Moscow's Russian Military Analysis on Jan. 1.

It will only take 30 minutes for the People's Liberation Army to launch a DF-31 missiles into the air. The range of a DF-31 is estimated to be 7,200 kilometers, which is shorter than the DF-5A developed in 1981. When the DF-31 is launched from Central China, it can not even reach the central US. However, the range of a DF-31A, the modified version, has the capability to hit most major targets in the United States since its range is extended to 11,200 kilometers.

China is developing the DF-31 and DF-41 to replace the DF-5A missiles. Even though the DF-5A has a longer range than the DF-31, it can be easily destroyed since the missile is stored in a horizontal position in tunnels under high mountains. In contrast, the DF-31 and DF-41 are both road-mobiles. With the assistance of the Beidou Navigation System, the accuracy of the DF-31 and DF-41 has been enhanced. Like the DF-5A, the DF-41 is also designed to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRVs).

The report estimates China to have 20 DF-5A missiles. In addition, it operated a total number of 30 DF-31 and DF-31A missiles. After the DF-41 begins its service, all DF-5A missiles will be retired. Since it is still very difficult for China to transfer its DF-31 and DF-41 on road-mobile systems easily because of their weight, a senior official in China said that some of DF-41s may still be launched from tunnels under mountains.

China has 10 DF-31 ballistic missiles in service: Pentagon report｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com

10 not good enough it should be 500 at least

 

[Lure]

because it doesn't matter how many you got or the quality
no one in there right mind would actually use them.
they give you no advantage against another nuclear power.

Their only functionality is to ensure the peace among nuclear nations (at least prevent a full scale war, small conflicts might always be on the table). Nothing less, nothing more.

 

[Beast]

because it doesn't matter how many you got or the quality
no one in there right mind would actually use them.
they give you no advantage against another nuclear power.

Then why US has thousand of nuclear warhead and many SSBN and ICBM with MIRV?

 

[Globenim]

Post the pentagon report summary not the garbage wantchinatimes gossip paper. Who knows how much these unprofessional imbecibles changed and fabricated.

 

[AgentOrange]

Want China times....full of crap as usual. See the picture below? I count 12 DF-31s. And that's just what China put on parade in 2009. I doubt any country would be dumb enough to risk putting their entire inventory of ICBMs out in the open for a parade. Whatever China finally puts on public parade, China usually has something more advanced and an order of magnitude more, at minimum.

Also, anyone notice that the WantChinatimes article said in the first line that the PLA had 10 DF-31s but then later stated that the PLA had 30 DF-31s in the last paragraph...in the same article? Also the article said that the DF-31s are difficult to transport by road? I mean...they're road mobile missiles and you see them being transported by road. In the parade. Because they were designed that way.

Who writes this stuff?

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Want China times....full of crap as usual. See the picture below? I count 12 DF-31s. And that's just what China put on parade in 2009. I doubt any country would be dumb enough to risk putting their entire inventory of ICBMs out in the open for a parade. Whatever China finally puts on public parade, China usually has something more advanced and an order of magnitude more, at minimum.

View attachment 181069

And don't forget the 1999 parade, the DF-31 missiles in that parade were totally different from those of the 2009 parade.

 

[AgentOrange]

Their only functionality is to ensure the peace among nuclear nations (at least prevent a full scale war, small conflicts might always be on the table). Nothing less, nothing more.

In theory. But then you have US warplanners envisioning attacks on the Chinese mainland as an extension of any US/China naval conflict. Meanwhile, the US would never dare attack Russian targets inside Russia for fear of nuclear escalation leading to MAD - which China doesn't have vis a vis the United States.

So having a robust nuclear arsenal (not just minimal deterrent) does grant a greater degree of security from conventional attacks in certain contexts, IMO. China recognizes this, hence why they just tested and are proceeding with the DF-41 that can carry 10 nuclear warheads. Even a mere one to one replacement of DF-5s with DF-41s would necessitate a nearly 3 fold increase of the "known" Chinese nuclear arsenal of 250 warheads.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

In theory. But then you have US warplanners envisioning attacks on the Chinese mainland as an extension of any US/China naval conflict. Meanwhile, the US would never dare attack Russian targets inside Russia for fear of nuclear escalation leading to MAD - which China doesn't have vis a vis the United States.

So having a robust nuclear arsenal (not just minimal deterrent) does grant a greater degree of security from conventional attacks in certain contexts, IMO. China recognizes this, hence why they just tested and are proceeding with the DF-41 that can carry 10 nuclear warheads. Even a mere one to one replacement of DF-5s with DF-41s would necessitate a nearly 3 fold increase of the "known" Chinese nuclear arsenal of 250 warheads.

China had 250 nukes since 1979.

 

[AgentOrange]

And don't forget the 1999 parade, the DF-31 missiles in that parade were totally different from those of the 2009 parade.

View attachment 181071

Rarely do you have a writer so bad that they directly contradict themselves in the same article. But there you have it. Whomever wrote that Wantchinatimes article takes the cake for worst effort in journalism in 2015.

The year's still young so the Wantchinatimes can still easily outdo themselves by publishing an article on how the PLAAF "just purchased 300 Su-35s" or something while showing pictures of a J-15 factory replete with Chinese workers as proof of the "Russian arms deal."