Big tension for US as China unveils killer nuclear missile 200 times, dangerous than atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, name is..., range...
China, a close ally of Pakistan and long rumored to have a secret nuclear arms program, has for the first time opened up about important information regarding one of its nuclear weapons. The historic disclosure marks a shift in Beijing's typically opaque defense posture and comes amid rising tensions with the United States.
China's state television CCTV has for the first time made public some of the most critical specifications of one of the nation's nuclear missiles. China's nuclear program has always been extremely sensitive, especially as to the details of certain missile capabilities and deployments, and it was unclear why the details of the DF-5, a Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), had been released.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, official Chinese disclosures usually rely on vague language and steer clear of specific weapon details. However, in a rare move, Monday's broadcast revealed that the two-stage missile—described as China's 'first-generation strategic ICBM'—is capable of carrying a single nuclear warhead with an explosive yield ranging between 3 and 4 megatons of TNT.
Additionally, the report also noted that the missile has a maximum range of 12,000 kilometers (7,460 miles), making it capable of reaching targets across the continental United States and Western Europe. It added that the missile's accuracy is within 500 meters (1,600 feet)—a level of precision considered crucial in modern military strategy.
Furthermore, the report mentioned that the missile was '32.6 metres in length with a diameter of 3.35 metres and a launch weight of 183 tonnes'. The yield of the warhead of the missile – up to 4 megatons – is approximately 200 times higher than atomic bombs, which were dropped by the US at Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of World War II.
Former instructor with the People's Liberation Army, Song Zhongping, explained that the DF-5 missile—developed in the early 1970s and officially entering service in 1981—has been a cornerstone of China's nuclear deterrent.
'Without the DF-5, China wouldn't be regarded as a nation with credible intercontinental strike capability. It was instrumental in China's emergence as a nuclear power, demonstrating to the world that China must be taken seriously,' Former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping said the missile was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.
The main land-based missile in the American arsenal is the Minuteman III, which has been operational since 1970 and is equipped with a single nuclear warhead.
China, meanwhile, has been gradually updating its missile forces. It now deploys improved versions of the DF-5 capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, as well as newer and more mobile missiles such as the DF-31 and DF-41, marking a marked improvement in its strategic capabilities.
The Pentagon reported a year ago that China had over 600 deployed warheads, a figure it predicted would exceed 1,000 in 2030. It also estimated that China had 320 missile silos at three main facilities after constructing new ones and upgrading its old ones. Beijing has a no-first-use doctrine of nuclear weapons and has stated that it will not use them against non-nuclear countries.
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