Ukraine helped China, and the Dongfeng-5C took the opportunity to surpass the Sarmat, becoming the world's number one truly!
How did the Dongfeng-5C intercontinental ballistic missile suddenly become the only heavy intercontinental ballistic missile in the world? This is thanks to the repeated launch failures of Russia's "Sarmat" missile.
Russia's RS-28 "Sarmat" missile was once touted as a "killing weapon," but recently there has been little news. The reason is simple: it had a big problem.
On September 22, 2023, a violent explosion occurred at the Plesetsk space test site in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Specifically, a fire broke out in the "Sarmat" missile in the launch silo, causing an explosion that created a crater 60 meters in diameter. This number is critical—60 meters, equivalent to a standard football field, and the explosion completely destroyed the missile launch position.
According to on-site reports, the explosion likely occurred during the ignition or just after takeoff, indicating that the "Sarmat" has failed continuously in testing, which has had a serious negative impact on its mass production and deployment.
This missile is actually an improved version of the Soviet R-36M2 "Satan" missile. In short, it's a "archaeological-style" renovation. The "Satan" missile was an old model that entered service in the 1980s, using liquid rocket engines and having a multiple warhead system, which was quite powerful. But where was the problem?
After Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the Ukrainian Southern Design Bureau—the company originally responsible for maintaining and upgrading the "Satan" missile—refused to cooperate. Without technical support from Ukraine, Russia had to redevelop this old missile on its own, resulting in the "Sarmat."
But what about the performance of the "Sarmat"? Data speaks: its dry mass ratio (the ratio of the missile's structural weight to the fuel weight) and payload capacity (the weight of the warheads it can carry) have both declined compared to the original "Satan." In other words, it didn't make any substantial improvements, but instead regressed. The reason people used to think it was powerful was purely because the "Satan" itself had a good foundation. Now, however, the "Sarmat" can't even pass the tests, and after the explosion incident, the Russian military hasn't mentioned it for a long time, directly affecting its deployment plan.
In contrast, the Dongfeng-5C doesn't have these historical burdens. China independently developed it, using more advanced propulsion systems and guidance technology, with a test success rate of over 90% (based on recent publicly available test data). Moreover, the range and payload capability of the Dongfeng-5C exceed the design specifications of the "Sarmat," allowing it to firmly occupy the top spot as the world's number one.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1845291595155456/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.