Accuracy perhaps and more detonated power. Who know?
China Leaks News of Third-Generation ICBM
By
Shannon Tiezzi
August 01, 2014
Agence France-Presse reports that a Chinese government agency has acknowledged China’s development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-41 (DF-41). The missile is designed to have a range of 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles), putting the United States within range. The U.S. Defense Department believes that the DF-41 is capable of carrying several nuclear warheads. The Chinese media report, quoted by AFP, said that “developing third generation nuclear weapons capable of carrying multiple warheads is the trend” as the U.S. strengthens its missile defense systems.
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China 'confirms new generation long range missiles'
China's ownership of a new intercontinental ballistic missile said to be capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads as far as the United States is confirmed by state-run media
Beijing has boosted its military spending by double digit amounts for several years as it seeks to modernise its armed forces Photo: AFP
By AFP
8:18AM BST 01 Aug 2014
China has acknowledged the existence of a new intercontinental ballistic missile said to be capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads as far as the United States, state-run media reported.
A government environmental monitoring centre in Shaanxi said on its website a military facility in the province was developing Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) missiles, the Global Times reported.
The DF-41 is designed to have a range of 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles), according to a report by Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, putting it among the world's longest-range missiles.
It is "possibly capable of carrying multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles", the US Defence Department said in a report in June, referring to a payload of several nuclear warheads.
China's military is highly secretive, and the Global Times said it had not previously acknowledged the existence of the DF-41.
The original government web post appeared to have been deleted on Friday, but the newspaper posted a screengrab.
It also quoted a Chinese military analyst as saying: "As the US continues to strengthen its missile defence system, developing third generation nuclear weapons capable of carrying multiple warheads is the trend."
China's defence ministry in January responded to reports it had tested a hypersonic missile delivery vehicle by saying any military experiments were "not targeted at any country and at any specific goals".
It made the same response last December when asked about reports that it had tested the DF-41.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen in recent months over territorial disputes with US allies in the East and South China Seas, and cyber-hacking.
Beijing has boosted its military spending by double digit amounts for several years as it seeks to modernise its armed forces, and now has the world's second biggest military outlays after the US.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in July any confrontation between the two powers "will surely spell disaster for both countries and for the world".
China's previous longest range missile was the DF-5A, which can carry a single warhead as far as 12,000 km, according to Jane's.
The DF-5A had its first test flight in 1971, and has to be fuelled for around two hours prior to firing, limiting its effectiveness as a weapon, according to analysts.
