All of the information stated in this article is based on reliable sources of information and is detailed at the end of the article
Text/Editor: Look at Mr. Zhang
At present, there are very few countries in the world that possess intercontinental missiles, and China, the United States, and Russia, as the world's leaders in the military field, have attracted special attention to the range of their missiles.
According to public information, Russia's intercontinental missiles can reach 18,000 kilometers, while the United States, as the world's largest military power, has a range of 12,000 kilometers, which is slightly inferior to Russia, so what is the range of China's missiles?
1. The emergence and status of intercontinental missiles
The so-called intercontinental missile usually refers to a long-range ballistic missile with a range of more than 8,000 kilometers.
This missile originated in Nazi Germany, and it was originally intended to be used to achieve the purpose of strategic strike. But when Germany became a defeated country in World War II, the plan was shelved.
With the turbulent changes in the post-war world pattern, the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union has become increasingly intensified, and in order to enhance their own combat effectiveness, they have also begun to restart the development of intercontinental missiles one after another.
In order to further defend against US hegemonism, the mainland successfully test-fired its first strategic missile, the Dongfeng, in the 60s of the last century, becoming the third country in the world to possess an intercontinental missile.
Since then, North Korea, India, and other countries have also released news that they have intercontinental missiles, but judging from the information they have so far, their intercontinental missiles are not yet comparable to those of China, the United States, and Russia.
On the one hand, in the process of development, there are a large number of technical problems to be overcome, including engine technology, precision technology for navigation systems, and technology for the development of nuclear warheads.
Any one technology may become a stumbling block in the development of ICBMs, so the manpower and energy required in this process can be imagined.
On the other hand, for such large-scale strategic weapons, whether it is the R&D and production expenses in the early stage or the maintenance costs in the later stage, it is a considerable expense.
According to the data, the total cost of a single missile can reach billions of dollars, so not every country has the ability to successfully develop it.
At present, there are less than double-digit countries in the world that possess such missiles, among which the top ones in terms of range are the Minuteman-3 intercontinental missile of the United States, the Sarmat missile of Russia, and the Dongfeng-41 missile of China.
2. Comparison of ICBMs of the three countries
As the number one military power, the United States naturally cannot be underestimated with its intercontinental missiles.
As early as 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, declaring its nuclear strength to the world and directly accelerating the end of World War II.
In the 70s of the last century, during the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the United States spent a lot of money and developed a series of intercontinental missiles with heavyweight nuclear weapons.
Today's Minuteman series of intercontinental missiles have three models, the most powerful of which is the Minuteman-3 intercontinental missile.
As the only land-based intercontinental missile in service in the United States, the Minuteman-3 can have a maximum range of 12,000 kilometers, can carry three nuclear warheads at the same time, and has extremely high penetration capabilities and the ability to hit hard targets.
However, due to the fact that the Minuteman-3 has been in service for too long, many of its technologies have shown a backward trend for now, coupled with the limited lifespan, many internal parts are also on the verge of use.
In 2021, the commander of the U.S. Department of Strategy pointed out that the U.S. Minuteman-3 is so old that it would cost to replace them even more than replacing them all, and those who could repair them may be long gone.
This also made the United States realize that the service of the Minuteman-3 is approaching, and perhaps it will not be long before a new intercontinental missile will replace them.
Although the U.S. Minuteman-3 ICBM is very powerful, its range is only the third largest in the world, slightly behind Russia.
And it is the powerful Sarmat missile that helped Russia win, perhaps many people have not heard of its name, but compared to Sarmat, the name of Topol-M is more resounding.
As an intercontinental missile with an extremely fast flying speed, the Topol-M has a very distinctive feature of strong penetration, and it is difficult for other weapons to intercept it.
The appearance of Sarmat has made the limelight of Topol-M no longer in the limelight, and Sarmat, as an enhanced version of Topol-M, is strong.
Its own weight is as high as 200 tons, it is currently the world's largest intercontinental missile, and it also uses liquid fuel and high-speed orbit change technology, with a range of 18,000 kilometers, and it is no exaggeration to say that it can bypass Antarctica to attack the United States.
After Sarmat's appearance, the United States called it a devilish weapon.
Judging from its actual power, the Sarmat intercontinental missile can carry a 10-ton nuclear warhead, and its power can reach more than 1,000 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, and it is in danger of completely destroying urban agglomerations.
After talking about the United States and Russia, we will introduce the Chinese intercontinental missile Dongfeng-41 missile.
This new-generation strategic missile not only has a sub-warhead, but also has the ability to launch it on a mobile basis.
DF-41 can carry 10 nuclear warheads, and the power brought by each attack can affect hundreds of square kilometers, which has a strong deterrent effect.
At the same time, the DF-41's unique ability to move can also allow it to be well hidden during the launch process and not be intercepted by the anti-missile system.
According to public information, the current range of the DF-41 has reached 14,000 kilometers, although it is not as good as Russia, but it is more than enough compared to the United States.
With such an artifact as the DF-41, the mainland will also have a stronger backing in defending its homeland security, and it is believed that in the near future, China's national defense strength will continue to rise and achieve explosive growth.
Reference Sources:
2019-06-29 10:43 Global Network The performance of the Russian Salmat missile was disclosed for the first time: the range is 18,000 kilometers
2023-11-03 06:49 Global Network After more than half a century of service, its reliability has been questioned, and the failure of the US "Minuteman 3" intercontinental missile test has been ridiculed
2015-07-29 15:06:00 CCTV Taiwan media: Dongfeng 41 missile has a range of 14,000 kilometers covering the mainland of the United States