DF-5 (CSS-4) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

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Last updated: 16 March 2008

With the intermediate-range DF-3 (CSS-2) and long-range DF-4 (CSS-3) development both underway, in 1965 the Chinese leaders decided to develop its first true ICBM capable of reaching North America. Technical and operational requirements for the DF-5 ICBM was issued in March 1965. Two U.S.-trained rocket scientists, Tu Shou’e and Ren Xinmin, were appointed to lead the development of the missile and its associated liquid-propellant rocket motor respectively. The programme aimed to have the missile ready for first flight test in 1971 and the design finalised in 1973.

Despite the experience learned in the DF-3 and DF-4 development, the DF-5 ICBM still proved highly challenging for the PRC. The missile served as the proving ground for a number of missile technologies, including the liquid-propellant rocket motor, inertial navigation guidance package, missile flight control, onboard computer, propellant pumping, warhead heat shield, etc.

To ensure that the missile achieves the required accuracy after flying over a long distance, a new inertial navigation guidance package based on the computer/platform arrangement was developed for the missile. The missile was fitted with the PRC’s first integrated circuits computer. High-strength, lightweight aluminium-cooper alloy was required for the propellant tank, and carbon/quartz materials were required for the heat shield of the warhead.

To ensure that the missile can be deployed in operational service, special care was taken in deciding the missile’s body diameter, the aerodynamic layout, the ratio between the length of the two stages, the heat protection measures on the missile body, and the jettison method of the first-stage.

The DF-5 development entered the in May 1966. Following a slow start caused by the political impact of the ’Culture Revolution’, the DF-5 programme entered intensive development in 1969 as requested by the Chinese leadership. The programme definition phase began in May 1966. The development of the first-stage rocket motor was completed on 14 June 1969. The design of the missile was completed in June 1970. The ground test of the rocket motor succeeded in November 1970. The first test missile 'Batch-01-Y1' rolled out in June 1971.

The first flight test of the DF-5 in September 1971 from Shuang Cheng Tzu (Base 20) was only partially successful. Because of the design flaw in the software of the onboard computer, the second-stage of the missile shut down earlier than scheduled, resulting the missile missing its target spot by 565 km. The second missile was launched in November 1972, but two of the four rocket motor failed to ignite, causing an emergent shut down. The same missile was launched again in April 1973 but it exploded in the midair.

Following two failed flight tests, the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai ordered the suspension of the DF-5 in October 1973. The remaining four missiles of the same design were all converted into CZ-2 space launch vehicles (SLV) to support the PRC’s space programme. In November 1974, the first CZ-2 SLV was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, carrying a FSW recoverable satellite. The launcher lost control shortly after the launch and was ordered self-destruction, destroying the satellite onboard.

In May 1975, the PLA ordered to resume the DF-5 development. In September 1977, the PRC leadership approved the full-range flight test of the DF-5. 1st Space Academy modified the design of the missile’s first stage to improve its reliability. From November 1975 to January 1978, three consecutive launches of the CZ-2 SLV were all successful.

The first successful depressed trajectory (DT) flight test of the DF-5 using the modified Batch-02 design took place in October 1978, and the test was wholly successful. Six subsequent launches carried out between January and October 1979 were all successful. During these tests, the DF-5 was successfully launched from underground silos, suggesting that the missile was near ready for operational deployment. In November 1979, the DF-5 design team made breakthrough in the warhead heat shield technology.

On 12 February 1980, the Chinese leadership officially approved the full-range (range: 9,000km; apogee: 1,000 km) flight test of the DF-5. Preparation for the test began in March, including base exercises at the Shuang Cheng Tzu site and ship exercises in the Yellow Sea.

On 18 May 1980 at 10:00:23 local time, a DF-5 (codename: 580A) was launched from the Shuang Cheng Tzu missile test site. After flying for 29 minutes and 57 seconds over a distance of 9,070km, the missile's re-entry vehicle hit its targeted landing spot ( 7° 42' 23'' S, 172° 15' 36'' E) in the South Pacific, where it was recovered by a PLA naval task force. A second missile (codename: 580B) was launched on 21 May at 11:19:32 local time. However, the second stage of the missile was shut down 6.4 seconds early, resulting the missile re-entry vehicle missing its targeted landing spot by 1,400km.

The last flight test of the DF-5 before its operational deployment took place on 7 December 1981, with a modified DF-5 launched from a silo at Wuzhai for a high-ballistic flight test. Two DF-5 missiles were delivered to the PLA Second Artillery Corps in 1981/82. The YF-20 rocket motor of the DF-5’s first-stage was certified for design finalisation in 1983. On 1 October 1984, three DF-5 missiles were demonstrated during the National Day military parade in Beijing to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the PRC.

211 Factory and Base 062 produced a total of 16 missiles for various flight test between 1978 and 1981, with 8 missiles fired and 2 delivered to the PLA Second Artillery Corps for operational deployment. The remaining were converted into the CZ-2C SLV for the FSW satellite launches. In July 1986, the nuclear warhead of the DF-5 was certified for design finalisation. On 16 December 1986, the DF-5 received its certificate for design finalisation.

Between 1987 and 1989, Base 092 produced five DF-5 missiles in the Batch-03 design for operational deployment. One of the missiles was test fired in Autumn 1989. This was also the last known DF-5 test. The remaining missiles were reportedly upgraded to the DF-5A standard in the early 1990s. The Batch 04 of eight missiles were produced by Base 062 in 1994~95, possibly in the improved DF-5A design.

DF-5 Launch Records