China supplies Saudi Arabia with DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles! Saudi media
Saudi Al-Sharq TV announced that the kingdom will acquire DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles from China.
The Chinese-made DF-41 ICBM (Intercontinental Missile) was unveiled for the first time to the public during the Chinese military parade held in Beijing on October 1, 2019, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
The DF-41 appears to be similar to the Russian-made Topol-M intercontinental missile, known to NATO as the SS-27. In August 2012, the defense magazine Janes announced that the Second Artillery Corps of the Chinese Strategic Nuclear Forces had tested the missile.
According to sources, the DF-41 is the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed in China. The system is based on an 8-wheeled Tian HTF5980 launch vehicle very similar to the Russian ICBM Topol-M. The DF-41 test launch was first launched in 2013.
The DF-41 has a firing range of 12,000 to 15,000 km and is capable of targeting the United States. The DF-41 uses a solid propellant three-stage rocket engine, and can carry a payload of up to 2,500 kg, including 10 to 12 independently targeting warheads.
The DF-41 uses an inertial navigation system with the Chinese COMPASS satellite navigation system. An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors (accelerometers) and rotation sensors (gyros) to continuously calculate the position, bearing, and velocity (direction and speed of motion) of a moving object without the need for external references.
The DF-41 missile is about 16.5 meters long and 2.78 meters in diameter. It can be launched from mobile launchers atop vehicles or rail cars, as well as silo-based launchers.
In January 2017, the Chinese newspaper Global Time reported that the DF-41 is now in service with the Chinese Armed Forces and has been deployed near the Sino-Russian border.
