DF-5

The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3 stage Chinese ICBM. It has a length 32.6 m and a diameter of 3.35 m. It weighs in at 183,000 kilograms and it has an estimated range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later. One of the downsides of the missile is that it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to fuel.The DF-5 was designed under the leadership of Tu Shou'e at the China Academy of Launch Technology (served as deputy chief designer. The missile was produced at the China's Factory 211 When the DF-5 was first tested in September 1971, it had a range of 1,000 to 1,200 km which allowed it to threaten the western portions of the United States. Beginning in 1983 the Chinese inaugurated the improved DF-5A, with range increased to over 13,000 km and a more accurate guidance system. The DF-5A upgrade increased the throw-weight of the system from 3,000 kg to 3,200 kg