China has unveiled its powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which will play a major role in shaping the country’s nuclear defense strategy. With a massive range that can reach the United States, it is being seen as one of the deadliest and most powerful weapons with China.
Representative Image (iStock)
China has unveiled its powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the DF-5B which will play a major role in shaping the country’s nuclear defense strategy. With a massive range that can reach the United States, it is being seen as one of the deadliest and most powerful weapons with China.
Pertinent to note that China’s disclosure of one of its deadliest weapons come as a surprise, given its nuclear program has always been kept under wraps. Interestingly, the revelation comes at a time when tensions between China and the US have already escalated amid the ongoing trade disputes.
Features of DF-5B
As per China’s state broadcaster, the DF-5B is described as the country’s first-generation strategic ICBM, with one of its major advancement is the use of the Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle technology (MIRV) — which allows the missile to carry and release several nuclear warheads at a time.
Notably, the DF-5B is an upgrade for the DF-5 model, developed during the cold war era. Unlike the original DF-5, the DF-5B possesses the ability to carry six to ten warheads, with each of them being able to re-enter the earth’s atmoshphere on its own path. Therefore, it might be difficult for defence systems to stop all warheads.
Additionally, the DF-5B is equipped with satellite-assisted navigation, making it easy to hit targets more precisely.
200 times more powerful than bombs dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki
As per a report by india.com, China’s intercontinental missile can carry a nuclear warhead with a blast power of about 3 to 4 megatons of TNT. In simple words, it is nearly 200 times more powerful than the atomic bombs (named Little Boy and Fat Man) dropped on Hiroshima and Bagasakti during the second world war.
The DF-5B has an impressive range of upto 12,000 kilometers, i.e., it can hit targets in the US and Western Europe. If Chinese media are to be believed, the missile is massive with length about 32.6 meters long, diameter about 3.35 meters and weight around 183 tons. The size and features of DF-5B make it one of the most powerful and deadliest missiles in China’s aresenal today.
Source link
[ad_3]
[ad_4]