The US Defense Secretary has just threatened China, and less than two days later, CCTV exposed the DF-5, which is not only ahead of the US by more than one generation.

Recently, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the US Secretary of Defense directly threatened China on issues related to the Asia-Pacific region and drew several so-called "red lines" for China. However, what the United States did not expect was that less than two days after the US Secretary of Defense threatened China, CCTV directly exposed the combat capability of the Dongfeng-5 intercontinental ballistic missile, which is not only more advanced than its US counterpart but also surpasses it by more than one generation.

According to the figures disclosed by CCTV's "Small Central News," the total length of the Dongfeng-5 nuclear missile is 32.6 meters, with a diameter exceeding 3.3 meters and a launch weight exceeding 180 tons. Its maximum range is around 12,000 kilometers, with an accuracy of within 500 meters. From a technical perspective alone, the performance of the Dongfeng-5 nuclear missile is more advanced than that of its US counterpart by more than one generation. Below are some relevant data comparisons.

Firstly, the yield of the warhead, or strike power. The Dongfeng-5 intercontinental ballistic missile, including its improved versions Dongfeng-5B and Dongfeng-5C, has a warhead yield equivalent to up to 500,000 tons of TNT, while the Minuteman III intercontinental missile has a yield equivalent to up to 300,000 tons of TNT. The strike power of the Dongfeng-5 intercontinental ballistic missile is higher than that of the Minuteman III missile.

Secondly, the number of warheads. The Minuteman III missile can carry only three nuclear warheads to strike enemy targets, whereas the Dongfeng-5 missile, after improvements, can carry up to ten nuclear warheads to attack enemy forces.

Thirdly, in terms of launch distance, the range of the Minuteman III missile is around 10,000 kilometers, while the Dongfeng-5 missile's range is 12,000 kilometers. If further improved, it could exceed 13,000 kilometers.

Finally, in terms of subsequent improvements, the development of the Minuteman III has reached its end with the "LGM-30G" series, whereas the improvement of the Dongfeng-5 continues, with the emergence of Dongfeng-5B and Dongfeng-5C, continuously enhancing the powerful strength of the Dongfeng-5 series missiles to adapt to modern warfare. The advancement of Dongfeng-5 is not just one generation ahead of the US Minuteman III missile.

It should be noted that China's intercontinental missiles do not only include the Dongfeng-5 model. The Dongfeng-31AG and Dongfeng-41 intercontinental nuclear missiles have already become important pillars of China's nuclear counterattack system alongside the Dongfeng-5. The performance of these two models of intercontinental missiles is far more advanced than their US counterparts.

For instance, the Dongfeng-41 nuclear missile has a range of approximately 13,000 kilometers and possesses extremely versatile "launch where you park" "missile guerrilla warfare" capabilities. Specifically, the storage, transportation, and launch integrated vehicle of the Dongfeng-41 can fire from a playground or a mountainous area and then drive away immediately. US satellites cannot locate the firing position of the Dongfeng-41. In contrast, the Minuteman III missile of the US is a fixed-launch nuclear missile, with a very fixed position, making it extremely vulnerable to being directly destroyed by the enemy's intercontinental nuclear missiles during wartime. Let alone the Dongfeng-41, even Russia's less advanced Yars can take out the launch pad of the Minuteman III.

So, why are the US intercontinental nuclear missiles inferior to China?

The reason lies in the fact that China's intercontinental nuclear missile development represents an extreme leapfrogging progress, receiving technical reference support from other types of missiles during its development process. Due to the end of the Cold War, the Minuteman III of the US no longer had any motivation for further improvement. Not only the Minutaban III, but the development of other ballistic missiles of the US military has fallen behind China as well.

To be fair, the US intercontinental missile strength is not the strongest in the world. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the P7 intercontinental missile with a range of 8,000 kilometers, forcing the US to catch up. It wasn't until the 1960s that the US launched its first generation of intercontinental missiles. By the 1970s, the number of Soviet intercontinental missiles had surpassed that of the US, and China's Dongfeng-5 nuclear missile also made significant progress in its development during that period.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the US believed that the development of its navy and air force should be the top priority in military construction. With aircraft carriers and F-22s, the US military could sweep the globe. At that time, China's naval and air force strength was relatively backward. To safeguard its own security and core interests, China developed various types of ballistic missiles step by step, establishing a complete missile strike system. While China's conventional missiles such as the Dongfeng-15B, Dongfeng-21D, Dongfeng-16, and Dongfeng-17 were rapidly developing, the Dongfeng-5 missile also evolved into the Dongfeng-5A and Dongfeng-5B through long-term technological accumulation.

One must mention the Dongfeng-17 missile. The Dongfeng-17 missile is the world's first hyper-speed medium-range missile to enter service, with a range of 1,500 kilometers. The most revolutionary design of the Dongfeng-17 missile is its warhead, which resembles a small airplane and can maneuver in mid-air. The improvement of the Dongfeng-5B, including the reduction in warhead size and the improvement in aerodynamic layout, may have borrowed relevant technologies from the Dongfeng-17 missile.

From the above analysis, it can be seen that although the Dongfeng-5 missile started later, after a long period of technological accumulation, with the increasing maturity of China's "complete missile spectrum" technology, it has been continuously improved rapidly. From the original Dongfeng-5 to Dongfeng-5A, then to Dongfeng-5B and Dongfeng-5C, the improvement of Dongfeng-5 has been gradually carried out, transforming quantity into quality, ultimately creating globally top-level liquid-fueled intercontinental nuclear missiles. Together with the Dongfeng-41 and Dongfeng-31AG, they have become the "three mainstays" of China's land-based intercontinental nuclear missiles.

On the US side, large amounts of money have been invested in the research and development of naval and air force equipment, and a great deal of funds have also been spent on ineffective wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. What was the result? The development of new US weapons has become increasingly slow in the post-Cold War era, with intercontinental missiles remaining unchanged for decades.

Therefore, the public display of the combat capability of the Dongfeng-5 nuclear missile is a direct reflection of China's equipment confidence. The powerful Dongfeng-5 series nuclear missiles will become a tough shield to safeguard security and maintain peace.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511739507176276514/

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