| DF-3A/CSS-2(US) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | IRBM |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1971–2014 (China) 1988–present (Saudi Arabia) |
| Used by | China, Saudi Arabia |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 24 m |
| Warhead | Nuclear, possibly 3 × 50–100 kt (0.21–0.42 PJ) warheads or 1 × 700–3,000 kt (2.9–12.6 PJ) warhead[1] |
| Engine | liquid fueled (4x YF-1 rocket engines) |
Operational range | 4,000-5,000 km[2][3] |
Guidance system | Astro-inertial guidance |
| Accuracy | 0.6-2.4 miles (1000-4000 m) CEP[4] |
The DF-3A (NATO: CSS-2) is a Chinese liquid-fueled, single-stage, nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile. It entered service with the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force in 1971, and its units were fully converted to the DF-21 by 2014.[5][6] The missile was used as the basis for China's first launch vehicle, the Long March 1.[7]
History
Initial production of the DF-3 was rushed due to the Zhenbao/Damansky Island conflict with the Soviet Union.[8]: 210 Supplied without a proof test, the weapons were initially rejected by the Second Artillery.[8]: 210 A proof test was completed in 1973.[8]: 210
Deployment of the missile began in 1971,[1] reaching a peak of 110 by 1984, then shrinking to 50 in 1993.[citation needed] It was estimated by the U.S. DoD that there were 17 missiles and 10 launchers in operation as of 2010 under a single brigade.[5] By May 2014, it appeared that the last unit operating the DF-3A completed conversion to the DF-21 missile from satellite photos of changes to the launch unit site.[6]
The missile was used as the basis for China's first launch vehicle, the Long March 1, which launched China's first satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1, in 1970.[7]
Users
China- People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
Saudi Arabia- Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force
- In 1988 China sold several dozen (reportedly between 36 and 60) DF-3A missiles to Saudi Arabia.[3][9] Saudi Arabia publicly displayed them for the first time in 2014.[10]
References
- ^ a b "DF-3A / CSS-2". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ^ Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat (Report). Defense Intelligence Ballistic Missile Analysis Committee. 1 June 2017. p. 5. NASIC-1031-0985-17. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ a b Meick, Ethan (16 June 2014). China's Reported Ballistic Missile Sale to Saudi Arabia: Background and Potential Implications (PDF) (Report). U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "DF-3A - China Nuclear Forces".
- ^ a b Norris, Robert S.; Kristensen, Hans M. (November 2010). "Chinese nuclear forces, 2010". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 66 (6): 134–141. doi:10.1177/0096340210387046. ISSN 0096-3402.
- ^ a b Kristensen, Hans (21 May 2014). "Chinese Nuclear Missile Upgrade Near Dalian". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Long March | Rockets, Types, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Zhang, Hui (2025). The Untold Story of China's Nuclear Weapon Development and Testing: A Technical History. Belfer Center Studies in International Security. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-05182-8.
- ^ Mark Urban (6 November 2013). "Saudi nuclear weapons 'on order' from Pakistan". BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia unveils part of strategic missile force - a deterrent move against Iran?". Defense Update. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
