China to showcase new advanced ICBM in military parade

Central News Agency

2015/08/31 20:00:00

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) China is expected to showcase a variety of missiles, including its DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in a military parade to be held Sept. 3 in Beijing, according to Chinese and Hong Kong media reports.

Military analyst Leung Kwok Leung (梁國樑) told CNA that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has replaced its DF-5 missiles with the DF-5A series since the former's public appearance in a military parade in 1984.

Leung said he personally believes that DF-5B, which has never been shown before, is the same model as one reported earlier as the DF-51 missile.

He said the DF-5B is an all-new, multiple-warhead, solid/liquid fueled and silo-launched missile with a maximum range of 15,000 km.

Due to the use of solid fuel for its first rocket, the DF-5B needs only 15-30 minutes to complete its launch preparedness, which is much shorter than China's other ICBMs, which need at least two hours before they can be fired.

It is very difficult to intercept the DF-5B because it carries multiple warheads and can change its flight path, Leung said.

In addition, the DF-5B's Circular Error Probable (CEP), which is used to measure the accuracy of the missile, is less than 100 meters, making its superior to the LGM-30G Minuteman missile of the United States, which has a CEP of 110 meters.

The smaller the CEP, the more accurate the missile.

(By Stanley Cheung & Bear Lee)