| Country: |
People's Republic of China |
| Alternate Name: |
DF-3 |
| Class: |
IRBM |
| Basing: |
Surface based |
| Length: |
21.20 m |
| Diameter: |
2.25 m |
| Launch Weight: |
64000 kg |
| Payload: |
Single warhead, 2150 kg |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 1-3 MT |
| Propulsion: |
single-stage liquid |
| Range: |
2650 km |
| Status: |
Operational |
| In Service: |
1970 |
Details
The CSS-2 is an medium-range, surface-based, liquid propellant ballistic missile. It is the oldest operational ballistic missile deployed in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The CSS-2 was designed as a replacement for the previous CSS-1 design, which used a primitive liquid propellant that could not be effectively stored. This prevented the weapon from remaining fueled for long periods of time or being launched under short notice. It also had an increased payload and range, capable of striking all US bases in the Philippines while carrying a payload sufficient for the estimated load of a hydrogen bomb. The CSS-2A was later developed as an improved version upon the CSS-2.
The CSS-2 was designed as a strategic asset. Its ability to strike key US military bases as far as the Philippines enabled the PRC to undermine the US military’s authority in the region. During the Korean War, the PRC attempted to forcibly expel the US from the region using soldiers; nuclear weapons would provide a far greater threat. The CSS-2 also provides a range capable of reaching almost all Indian and many Russian cities, providing a powerful threat in the case of hostilities. However, it is unable to directly threaten the United States or key Russian cities. Its accuracy and payload render it capable of engaging large targets such as civilian population centers, but it could not be effectively used against enemy missile silos, even if any were within range. The size of its warhead makes the CSS-2 ideal for depopulating cities. It is also used to exert pressure upon the surrounding countries, such as threatening nations that contest the PRC’s claim to disputed territory.
The CSS-2 has a range of 2,650 km (1,647 miles) and carries a payload of 2,150 kg. This payload is equipped with a single nuclear warhead with a 1 to 3 MT yield. It is believed to have originally used a radio-command guidance system, but this has since become an inertial system with an accuracy of 2,000 m CEP. It has a length of 21.2 m, a width of 2.25 m and a launch weight of 64,000 kg. It uses a single-stage liquid propellant engine.
The CSS-2 system entered development in the early 1960s, with a series of flight tests having occurred from 1966 to 1968. It is believed to have entered service in 1970 with between 100 and 150 having been deployed since. Despite being an obsolete design, the missile remains in service to maintain the PRC’s nuclear dominance of the region. In recent years, the PRC has reported a steep decline in the number of CSS-2 missiles as the more modern DF-25 and CSS-N-3s become prevalent. The CSS-2 will likely be withdrawn from service shortly. The PRC has begun to rely more upon sea-launched systems, particularly cruise missiles. These systems are better suited for deployment against island nations such as Japan or the Republic of China.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 6-7.
Henderson on Saudi-China-Pakistan Missile Ties
April 23, 2006 :: Analysis
Simon Henderson, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently commented on missile ties between Saudi Arabia, China, and Pakistan. The Saudis currently possess an arsenal of aging Chinese-designed CSS-2 missiles, purchased from China in the 1980s. Riyadh hopes to upgrade this arsenal with modern Chinese-designed missiles and perhaps nuclear warheads to create a deterrent against Iran. Henderson speculates that the Saudis will attempt to acquire from Pakistan both Chinese-designed missiles and dual-key Pakistani nuclear warheads. Under such a system, Saudi Arabia would have the key that controls the missiles, while Pakistan would have the key that controls the warheads. The result would technically not breach the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and perhaps evade Chinese international obligations against the transfer of ballistic missiles. However, a nuclear-armed Saudi Arabia would severely undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts to block Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and dramatically alter the regional balance of power.
Henderson notes that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah visited Pakistan in February 2006, on his way back from China. In addition, Crown Prince Sultan, the Saudi defense minister, was in Pakistan in April. On Sultan’s previous trip to Pakistan in 1999, he toured Pakistan’s Kahuta uranium enrichment and missile production center, where he was escorted by the then director, the nuclear proliferator A.Q. Khan. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, China, Pakistan, Proliferation
» Missile details: CSS-2
Pentagon Releases Report on Chinese Military Power
July 20, 2005 :: Department of Defense :: News
The Pentagon has released its annual report to Congress on Chinese military power, which describes China at “a strategic crossroads.” The 45-page report covers a host of topics, including Chinese military strategy and doctrine, the effects of military modernization, and an assessment of the security situation in the Taiwan Strait. “Questions remain about the basic choices China’s leaders will make as China’s power and influence grow, particularly its military power.” Of particular note is attention to such themes as China’s defense spending, strategic missile forces, the increasing number of short range missiles deployed near Taiwan, space policy, and the threat posed by a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse. (More »»»)
» NY Times: China’s Military Geared to Deterring Taiwan, Report Says
» Text of 2004 DOD Report on Chinese Military Power
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Space-Based Systems
» Missile details: CSS-2, CSS-2A, CSS-3, CSS-4, CSS-4A, CSS-5 Mod 2, CSS-5, CSS-9 (DF-31), CSS-NX-5 (JL-2)
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Sokolski on North Korean Proliferation
August 19, 2003 :: OpinionJournal.com :: Analysis
Henry Sokolski discusses the likely prospect of North Korea proliferating nuclear warheads and more advanced delivery systems to countries like Saudi Arabia, if the upcoming meeting between the U.S., China, North Korea, Japan and South Korea does not defuse the North Korean problem.
Saudi Arabia already has a number of CSS-2 missiles, with a range of 2,400km, which it acquired from China during the early 1990s. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea, Proliferation
» Missile details: CSS-2, CSS-2A
