After the appearance of China's DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missile, the US military has paid great attention. According to a report from the US Navy News, the DF-2 was previously generally believed to have a maximum range of about 7000 kilometers, which could only reach the Alaska region when launched from near China's coast, limiting its strategic deterrence. However, the DF-3 is expected to have a range of 9000-12000 kilometers, an increase of 35% to 62%, which is close to the level of the US's most advanced Trident II D5 submarine-launched missile.

However, the US military still underestimated our DF-3. The DF-3 and DF-2 are similar in size and length, but the range is much longer, possibly reaching around 12000-14000 kilometers, which means that the propulsion system of the DF-3 has been greatly upgraded.

The existence of the DF-3 means that we now have a world-class four-in-one nuclear strike capability. Some netizens said, "Isn't it three-in-one nuclear strike capability?" But we have created the air-launched ballistic missile, which gives us the ability to conduct long-range air-launched nuclear weapons.

Strategic Value of Submarine-Launched Intercontinental Missiles

Due to the characteristics of stealth, safety, strong mobility, and powerful combat effectiveness, ballistic missile submarines are highly valued by countries around the world. Currently, all major nuclear powers focus their strategic nuclear warheads on ballistic missile submarines, especially the United States, where the most prominent part of its three-in-one nuclear strike capability is the submarine-launched intercontinental missile.

Currently, the most advanced submarine-launched missile in the United States is the Trident II D5, which is also the most advanced submarine-launched ballistic missile in the world. Compared to the "Trident I", the "Trident II" is 3 meters longer, has a greater range, higher accuracy, and can carry up to 12 independently targetable warheads per missile, later reduced to 8 according to agreements between the US and Russia, each capable of attacking 8 different targets. It uses a star inertial guidance system. Its ability to strike hardened targets such as underground missile silos and reinforced underground command centers is 3 to 4 times better than the "Trident" missiles.

The existence of the DF-3 has finally allowed China to stand on the same level as the United States in the field of submarine-launched intercontinental missiles. With a longer range, the DF-3 has the same volume as the DF-2, allowing our next-generation strategic nuclear submarines to potentially eliminate the "tortoise back."

The Appearance of the Tortoise Back on Nuclear Submarines Was a Chinese Compromise

"Tortoise back" refers to an abnormal protrusion on the back of a submarine (excluding the conning tower), typically found on strategic missile nuclear submarines. The reason for the appearance of the "tortoise back" is that the size of the submarine-launched intercontinental missile exceeds the diameter of the submarine. To accommodate the large missile within the nuclear submarine, it is necessary to artificially increase the height of the pressure hull. Its appearance disrupts the smooth shape of the nuclear submarine, increases resistance and noise, and is a compromise between the size of the nuclear submarine and the submarine-launched intercontinental missile.

China's 094 has a tortoise back, which is also an unavoidable choice. China's geographical location requires the range of submarine-launched ballistic missiles to exceed 10,000 kilometers to have strategic deterrence.

In the absence of being able to achieve a range of 10,000 kilometers with a smaller body, the only option is to set up a "tortoise back" to accommodate the missile launch tubes and related equipment.

Russia's main underwater strategic nuclear deterrent, for decades, has also had a tortoise back on the Delta-4 nuclear submarine. During the Soviet era, due to the limitations of industrial foundation and technical level, it was difficult to manufacture large-diameter pressure hulls that could fully accommodate the deployed submarine-launched missiles. At the time, the Soviet submarine-launched missile technology was still in development, and the missile size could not be further reduced to fit into smaller diameter submarine pressure hulls. Therefore, the tortoise back design was used to accommodate the missiles, quickly forming a sea-based nuclear deterrent capability.

Russia has long continued the Soviet weapons, and it wasn't until the emergence of the Borei-class strategic nuclear submarine in 2013 that Russia's strategic nuclear submarines no longer had a tortoise back.

For this, if we forcibly eliminate the tortoise back, the service time of the 094 would be at least 10 years later. Everyone knows that China's maritime area is vast, and at least in the Western Pacific, the US's big fish has always been watching closely. Therefore, China urgently needs a strategic nuclear submarine to be stationed there.

Chinese Nuclear Submarines Permanently Stationed in the South China Sea

The biggest benefit of the DF-3 maintaining the same volume as the DF-2 is that it can directly replace the DF-2 in the 094. The key factors restricting the miniaturization of submarine-launched intercontinental missiles include the nuclear warhead, solid fuel, and engine. For example, the Trident II D5 submarine-launched missile can carry 8-14 W-76 nuclear warheads (10 kiloton class) or 8 W-88 nuclear warheads (47.5 kiloton class), with a total weight of 2.8 tons. Among them, the W-88 nuclear warhead is 1.7 meters high, 0.55 meters in diameter, and weighs less than 360 kilograms.

What's more impressive about China is that it has directly achieved the same volume for the DF-3 and DF-2, which is considered one of the core secrets of China. Because the US is the global leader in researching the miniaturization technology of submarine-launched intercontinental missiles. China has managed to surpass the US in this field, which is indeed a blow to the US.

Although the 094 is not the most advanced strategic nuclear submarine, the DF-3 is sufficiently advanced. Currently, the six 094 nuclear submarines take turns to be permanently stationed in the South China Sea for "almost continuous" patrols. The US claims that the nuclear submarines stationed in the South China Sea are equipped with 12 DF-3s, covering the entire US territory. This is indeed a significant threat for the US. It means that if a war breaks out between the US and China, even if land-based missiles and systems are destroyed, the nuclear submarines stationed in the South China Sea can still conduct a nuclear retaliation.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547741235537035791/

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