China upgrading older DF-5A ICBMs with multiple warheads

[Zarvan]

three warheads. Source: via Top 81 Web Page

China's People Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force is upgrading its older liquid-fuelled, silo-based Dong Feng-5A (DF-5A, or CSS-4 Mod 2) intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV), according to US government sources.

While not mentioning this missile, on 9 February in his annual 'World Wide Threat Assessment' for the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Director of National Intelligence James R Clapper stated that China "continues to modernise its nuclear forces by adding more survivable road-mobile systems and enhancing its silo-based systems".

That China has been observed replacing the DF-5A's former single warhead with three warheads "within the past several months" was first reported by The Washington Times on 10 February.

The new MIRV-equipped warhead bus being retrofitted to the DF-5A is probably the same as that on the MIRV-equipped DF-5B first displayed in China's 3 September 2015 military parade. Both the DF-5B and the upgraded DF-5A probably also carry penetration aids such as decoys and chaff to counter ballistic missile defences.

In its 2003 China Military Report to the US Congress the Pentagon stated that "China is replacing CSS-4 Mod 1 ICBMs with longer-range CSS-4 Mod 2s. The replacement of all the approximately 20 CSS-4 Mod 1s reportedly will be completed by mid-decade."

The 2009 'Cruise and Ballistic Missile Threat' report of the US Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) stated that the PLA's CSS-4 Mod 2 inventory was "about 20".

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China upgrading older DF-5A ICBMs with multiple warheads | IHS Jane's 360