PLA Rocket Force Second Artillery Corps Introduction Order of Battle History Uniforms ICBM Theater Missiles ICBM / IRBM Facilities
ORBAT as of 2005
General Staff Department
Base 51	Base 52
810 Launch BDE	807 Launch BDE
U/I Mobile BDE	811 Launch BDE
U/I BDE	815 Launch BDE
U/I BDE	817 Launch BDE
	U/I Mobile BDE
	U/I BDE
	U/I BDE
Base 53	Base 54
802 Launch BDE	801 Launch BDE
808 Launch BDE	804 Launch BDE
U/I BDE	813 Launch BDE
	U/I BDE
Base 55	Base 56
803 Launch BDE	809 Launch BDE
805 Launch BDE	812 Launch BDE
U/I Launch BDE
Testing Base 22	U/I Training Base

People's Republic of China formed the Second Artillery Force in 1966, the predecessor of the modern People's Liberation Army Rocket Army. Initially, this force deployed only a small number of nuclear-capable medium-range ballistic missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles. Over the years, with the addition of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in 1981 and the introduction of the DF-21 (China's first truly mobile missile system) in the late 1980s, the size of this unit has continued to expand.

It can be learned from various sources that by 2005 the Second Artillery Force had six missile group armies (missile bases), with the exception of the Beijing Military Region, each of which is deployed in the other military regions. Each group army (base) governs several brigades, each brigade is equipped with one type of missile and each governs 3-6 missile battalions. Each battalion has three missile companies, and each company has three missile platoons. A launcher equips a company or a platoon, depending on the type of missile. Therefore, a missile brigade may have 9 to 54 sets of launchers. The number of missiles may be greater than the number of launchers, usually 20-25% more.

The Beijing Military Region has built an underground tunnel system for the Second Artillery, which can hide any number of launchers, especially mobile launchers, as well as missiles and warheads, but there is no even close information in this regard. Therefore, only the six missile bases with some news can be discussed.

The 51st base is located in the Shenyang Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 806th Brigade (Dongfeng-31), 810th Brigade (Dongfeng-3A), 816th Brigade (Dongfeng-15) and 822th Brigade (Dongfeng-21).

The 52nd base is located in the Nanjing Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 807th Brigade (Dongfeng-21), 811th Brigade (Dongfeng-21), 815th Brigade (Dongfeng-15B), 817th Brigade (Dongfeng-15), 818th Brigade (Dongfeng-11A), 819 Brigade (Dongfeng-15) and 820 Brigade (Dongfeng-15).

The 53rd base is located in the Chengdu Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 802th Brigade (Dongfeng-21), 808th Brigade (Dongfeng-21) and 821th Brigade (Donghai-10 Cruise Missile).

The 54th base is located in the Jinan Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 801th Brigade (Dongfeng-5A), 804th Brigade (Dongfeng-5A) and 813th Brigade (Dongfeng-31A).

The 55th base is located in the Guangzhou Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 803rd Brigade (Dongfeng-5A), 805th Brigade (Dongfeng-4), 814th Brigade (Dongfeng-4) and 824th Brigade (Donghai-10).

The 56th base is located in the Lanzhou Military Region and has jurisdiction over the 809th Brigade (Dongfeng-21), 812th Brigade (Dongfeng-31A) and 823th Brigade (Dongfeng-21).

Judging from the number of missile brigades, possible compilations and various data, the number of second artillery missile launchers is likely to be: 30-36 sets of Dongfeng-5, 18-30 sets of Dongfeng-4, 9-30 sets of Dongfeng-3 48 sets of Dongfeng-31 (including 30 sets of Dongfeng-31A), 88 sets of Dongfeng-21, 24-45 sets of Dongfeng-15, 36 sets of Dongfeng-11A, 18 sets of Donghai-10. The number of warheads (assuming the same number of launchers) is 367-439. If you add 25% of the backup missiles in the base, the number of missiles may reach about 45 Dongfeng-5, 36 Dongfeng-4, 30 Dongfeng-3A, 60 Dongfeng-31 (including 36 Dongfeng-31A), 110 Dongfeng-21, 60 Dongfeng-15, 45 Dongfeng-11, 70 Donghai-10. In this way, the number of warheads will reach 528.

As of 2005 there were three types of Chinese intercontinental ballistic missiles: Dongfeng-5 (range 7500-15000 kilometers), Dongfeng-31 / 31A (range 7000-12000 kilometers), Dongfeng-4 (range 5500-7000 kilometers). The specific range of intercontinental ballistic missiles depends on the combat load. The old Dongfeng-5 and Dongfeng-31 replacing it are truly intercontinental ballistic missiles that are used to destroy US domestic targets, and Dongfeng-31A is the first type in China and is currently the only multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile. Carry 3 warheads. Dongfeng-4 is actually a medium-range missile used to attack European targets in Russia, so it has an informal name "Moscow missile". In theory, Dongfeng-4 can also hit Europe, but it is conceivable that war between China and European countries is completely impossible. The Dongfeng-41 intercontinental ballistic missile being tested by China can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads with a range of 14,000 kilometers.

There are two types of Chinese medium-range ballistic missiles: Dongfeng-3A (range of about 3000 kilometers) and Dongfeng-21 (range of 2000-3000 kilometers). These medium-range ballistic missiles are used to destroy targets in Russia, India and Japan. Dongfeng-3A is being retired and gradually replaced by Dongfeng-21. Dongfeng-21 has several improved models, including the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile used to attack large surface warships, especially aircraft carriers.

There are two types of battle tactics and tactical missiles: Dongfeng-11 (range 300-800 kilometers) and Dongfeng-15 (range 600 kilometers). The Dongfeng-15 and Dongfeng-11 missiles are almost exclusively used to attack targets in Taiwan. Most of them are equipped with the 52nd Army, and a few are equipped with the 816th Brigade of the 51st Army, targeting the area from Vladivostok to Ussuriysk in Russia. , And the Korean Peninsula. Most of the similar missiles are assigned to the Chinese Army.

The East China Sea-10 cruise missile has a maximum range of 4000 kilometers. It was developed by combining the Russian Kh-55 and the US "Tomahawk" technology, and is a new type of weapon equipped by the Second Artillery. A large number of similar missiles are mainly equipped with the Chinese Army. Each mobile launcher carries three missiles and is a major component of China's land-based, air-based, sea-based, and shore-based cruise missile families.

Among all the above-mentioned missiles, Dongfeng-5, Dongfeng-4 intercontinental ballistic missiles and Dongfeng-3 medium-range ballistic missiles use well-based launchers, and the remaining missiles use mobile launchers.

Most of the grassroots units of the Second Artillery Corps were hidden in the ravines and the Gobi Desert. The conditions were harsh and the discipline was strict. In the early 1990s, the Second Artillery Corps began to build conventional missile forces, accounting for about 1/4 of the troop establishment, and developed the combat theory of "conventional missile assault campaign". During the military parade in September 2015, Dongfeng-21D and Dongfeng-26 two medium- and long-range anti-ship ballistic missiles were unveiled, and they were the only two anti-ship ballistic missiles that were exclusively installed worldwide.

Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said: "China has always pursued a policy of not using nuclear weapons first and adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense defense. Nuclear forces have always maintained the minimum level necessary to maintain national security. China's nuclear policy and nuclear strategy are consistent, Nothing has changed."