DF-3A / CSS-2 - History
1965 was a crucial year for China's national defense construction, and many important decisions and decisions were made in this year. In this year, in view of the stereotyped equipment of the "East 2" missile and the severe international situation, the Central Special Committee issued the "East 2A" and "East 3" within 8 years from 1965 to 1972. The orders of the "East Sanjia" and "East Wu" four liquid ballistic missiles, namely the famous "Eight Years Four Bombs" project. The development of China's first generation of liquid strategic missiles has begun. This article will focus on reviewing the flight tests of the mid-range and mid-range models ("East 3" and "East 4").
Because the range of new missiles has increased significantly (from hundreds of kilometers to thousands to tens of thousands of kilometers), the technology is more complicated, and the original "East 2" missile test facility can no longer meet the needs of new missiles. So the National Defense Science and Technology Commission decided to expand the original facilities first, then build a new test base and open up a new impact zone.
The expansion project of the original Northwest Integrated Missile Test Base is planned to be completed in two phases. In December 1966, 41 engineering projects including the South Launch Station and the supporting large service tower, launch tower control room, propellant, compressed air, and power supply system for the "East 3" and "East 4" missile tests were first completed.
Due to the development of ballistic missile technology, in order to meet the needs of multi-range, long-range missile flight tests, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission began planning to establish a new test site in early 1966. After detailed investigation, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission ’s report on the selection of the new site in a place in North China and a place in Northeast China was approved by Premier Zhou Enlai in November of that year and March of the following year.
Immediately, the North China Proving Ground broke ground in April 1967. In October 1968, a full-range flight test facility for medium-range missiles was built. The base started from the survey and selection of sites in early 1966, and the main projects of the first phase of the project were basically completed by the end of 1968, and then launched the launch test mission. It is conceivable that in this case, in addition to the acceptance of basic launch positions and technical positions, even the communication command and supporting projects are very simple, not to mention various living supporting facilities.
Soon after the base was completed, Qian Xuesen went to the Taiyuan Launch Center in Shanxi to organize and command the missile launch mission. Yu Longhuai and others from China Academy of Rocket Technology went with Qian Xuesen. Yu Longhuai was responsible for the organization and coordination of the launch mission, so he and Qian Xuesen were on duty at the command center.
The missile was originally scheduled to be launched at 5 pm. Due to problems with the preparations, the launch was postponed until midnight, and then postponed until the next morning. After staying up all night, some young people could not bear it. Everyone advised Qian Xuesen, who was nearly 60 years old, to leave the command hall to rest, but Qian Xuesen insisted on staying in the command post. The command hall is very rudimentary, except for a few tables and benches, there is not even a sofa chair. Qian Xuesen, like everyone else, moved two wooden benches together and lay down with his clothes to rest.
Since then, the construction of intercontinental ballistic missile and solid ballistic missile test projects has been launched. The project has built large facilities such as launching positions, comprehensive technical positions, command and communication centers, security control and measurement systems. Among the most complex technical launch positions, 427 (sets) of missile test, launch control, aiming, nitrogen supply, propellant filling and discharge, neutralization and flushing, and power distribution, communication, high-speed photography, fire fighting, and air conditioning systems were installed. large equipment. In September 1975, the Central Military Commission decided to expand the North China Test Site to a North China Missile Test Base.
The Northeast Proving Ground is mainly responsible for the full-range test mission of medium and long-range ballistic missiles. Construction started in April 1967 and the proving ground was completed in August 1970. In September 1975, the Central Military Commission decided to expand the Northeast Proving Ground to a Northeast missile testing base.
After the new test base is put into use, it will be used in conjunction with measurement and control facilities such as the Northwest Base and the Weinan Measurement and Control Center. It has basically formed a ground-to-surface missile test belt in mainland China from east to west, and can carry out ballistic missile flights with multiple directions and ranges.
The impact zone also began to be rebuilt and expanded in August 1970 according to requirements, with the addition of domestic optical measurement, telemetry and radar equipment, as well as electronic computers, time control, communications, data transmission and other equipment. Observation capabilities have been significantly improved, not only to complete the warhead Measurement of reentry trajectory and engineering parameters, and the addition of means of locating the landing point and predicting the distribution of debris. The new impact zone was completed in May 1976. On both sides of the 140-kilometer reentry trajectory, it was equipped with movable measurement equipment and technical service support equipment, and was equipped with an unmanned telemetry receiving station near the theoretical landing point. To obtain the engineering parameters of the warhead flying out of the launch zone to the point of landing.
At this point, the new missile test facility has been basically completed. As of October 1986, China has conducted 34 "East 3" missile flight tests, 4 "East 3 A" missile flight tests, and 16 "East 4" missile flight tests on these bases. The "Changyi" carrier rocket was launched twice, and the "East Five" missile and the "Changer-2" carrier rocket were tested and launched 15 times ("East Five" and "Changer-2" launch statistics are as of the end of 1980).
Before the development order of the Central Special Committee was issued, the Fifth Institute of the Ministry of National Defense organized the first and second branches of the Ministry of National Defense to carry out the "East Three" missile overall program demonstration and key technology pre-research. The relevant departments combined with China's actual situation and finally determined the overall design plan of the "East III" missile after repeated demonstrations. The scheme boldly uses a four-machine parallel storable propellant (nitric acid and unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine) liquid rocket engine as the new projectile power system. The missile guidance system is a strapdown double-compensated inertial navigation system Note 1 and is replaced by a new gyro integrator The electrolysis integrator and the ground equipment must be motorized so that the missile has regional mobile launch capabilities.
The materials and processes of the "East Three" missile were also advanced at the time, such as the vacuum high temperature brazing alloy welding the stainless steel corrugated plate sandwich structure of the engine, and the thermal insulation material of the bullet used high silica fiber and phenolic resin film pressure material developed by Factory 251 The processing technology of the high-strength aluminum alloy material used in the propellant tank is also changed to the chemical milling process of the whole wall plate according to the needs. Despite the complexity of the new projectile technology, due to the good pre-research work, the 211 Factory completed the trial production of the "East Three" Missile 01 batch only a little more than a year after the official order of the Central Special Committee was officially issued.
On the morning of December 26, 1966, the entire northwest base was shrouded in the extreme cold of minus 20 degrees Celsius. A milky white giant missile has been erected on the newly-built south launch station tower, and various measurement and control, power supply, and refueling vehicles are intensively making final preparations under it. At 10 o'clock, the vehicle was withdrawn, the personnel cleared the field, and the launch was counted down. At 11 o'clock, with the command of the commander, the first "East Three" telemetry missile (01 batch of No. 1 missile, product number 601601) was launched into the air. However, people had not had time to cheer, and the engine broke down. The missile self-destructed in 124 seconds. The warhead failed to hit the Hetian landing zone. The test failed! The warhead could not be found.
The estimated deviation is nearly 272 kilometers in the vertical direction and horizontal. 97 kilometers left. After careful analysis and inspection of the wreckage of the projectile, the cause of the engine failure could not be found. The test was fired again in January of the following year. The No. 2 projectile flew to 129.2 seconds. The thrust of the engine II extension suddenly dropped, and the warhead's landing point deviation was very large (40.55 kilometers left). The test failed again! After the wreckage inspection The cause of the failure has not been found, but the two program evaluation tests have proved that: all systems except the engine work normally and stably, and the overall design of the missile is reasonable and feasible.
After sufficient preparation, the No. 3 missile was tested on May 26, 1967. The missiles in the active segment re-entered the segment were flying normally. The warhead accurately hit the target area 1726.2 kilometers away. The deviation of the landing point was less than the specified value. A complete success. Encouraged by all departments, the fourth test was carried out on June 10th. Unexpectedly, the engine No. 1 extension showed a similar thrust drop at 128 seconds and the previous time. Although the warhead hit the target, the test was only partially successful.
Obviously, if the problem of the engine is not solved, the "East III" missile cannot be finalized, and it may even affect the progress of other important models! Is it a design problem, a process material problem, or a quality problem? Through a concentrated study of the wreckage of three faulty missiles Combined with a large number of test runs, the researchers finally found that the failure was caused by the insufficient strength of the internal wall of the engine extension and tearing in flight. The improved engine was rigorously tested and equipped with "East III" 02 batch of missiles.
On December 18, 1968, the first batch of 02 rounds (product number 602801) was launched into the newly-built North China base to conduct a "qualitative test of the inspection and design improvement plan." The missile engine was working normally, and the counterweight warhead hit Minfeng The test range is 2517.3 kilometers, the deviation of the landing point is nearly 2.471 kilometers in the vertical direction, and 8.889 kilometers in the horizontal direction. The engine failure is successfully resolved, and the full flight test is successfully completed! From 1969 to 1974, the North China base worked closely with the troops to conduct a series of flight tests including development, finalization, and mass production sampling.
For example, 02 batches of Group 1 No. 3 missiles (Product No. 692903) were tested for environmental suitability and corrosion resistance in high-temperature, high-humidity and high-cold areas, and were launched on October 11, 1969. The deviation of the landing point was very small. 02 batches of 2 groups of No. 1 missiles (product number 702008) had been stored in the field for 5 months. The test was successful after exposure to the medium and rain. The test was successful and the deviation of the landing point was small.
02 batches of 3 groups of ammunition have been tested for high altitude and 1500 km km transportation before the identification test, as well as a long-distance railway transportation test under various conditions including full weapon system, long-term storage test under field conditions, temporary Change the shooting direction and night launch test, as well as the warhead strength and anti-ablation ability test. Among them, the "assessment of the strength of the warhead, the direction change mode, the transportation after the horizontal test, and the laser ranging test" conducted on June 26, 1974 (02 batches of 9 missiles, product number 702009), even hit a longitudinal distance of 0.494 Kilometer, 0.276 kilometers to the right of the lateral. What's more important is that the "East Three" conducted two bombing and 524-3.4 tests in June and July 190. For the first time, an explosion bolt did not explode, the head did not separate, and the longitudinal distance was 16.401 kilometers. The test was not completely successful. The second test in July was completely successful, marking the "East III" missile has fully formed combat effectiveness.
In November and December 1974, the improved missile underwent a "warhead reentry wake test and a gyro integrator test with a progressive motor program."
On August 4, 1975, the Central Government approved the finalization of the "East III" missile weapon system. After the finalized "East Three" 03 batch of missile equipment troops, the relevant units and the troops jointly carried out potential exploitation experiments. Under the guidance of the "serious, thoughtful and meticulous, safe and reliable, foolproof" test policy, the scientific researchers dared to tackle the problem, and after two efforts, they finally reduced the preparation time for the launch of the "East Three" missile to 1 hour and 50 minutes in 1980. Greatly improved the missile's response speed and survivability. In 1982, two batches of 03 missiles were tested for life extension, both of which were successful. At this point, the scientific research flight of the "East Three" missile was basically completed, and the work of the North China base shifted to the "Eastern Three" batch inspection test and the "East Three A" finalization test.
China also carried out four flight tests with the "Julang 1" warhead using the "East Three" 03 batch in 1979, which also made important contributions to the birth of China's sea-based nuclear forces.
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