DF-3A

"CSS-2" redirects here. For the document markup language version, see CSS § CSS 2.
DF-3A/CSS-2(US)
TypeIRBM
Place of originChina
Service history
In service1971–2014 (China)
1988–present (Saudi Arabia)
Used byChina, Saudi Arabia
Specifications
Length24 m
WarheadNuclear, possibly 3 × 50–100 kt (0.21–0.42 PJ) warheads or 1 × 700–3,000 kt (2.9–12.6 PJ) warhead[1]
Engineliquid fueled (4x YF-1 rocket engines)
Operational
range
4,000-5,000 km[2][3]
Guidance
system
Astro-inertial guidance
Accuracy0.6-2.4 miles (1000-4000 m) CEP[4]

The DF-3A (NATO: CSS-2) is a Chinese liquid-fueled, single-stage, nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile. It entered service with the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force in 1971, and its units were fully converted to the DF-21 by 2014.[5][6] The missile was used as the basis for China's first launch vehicle, the Long March 1.[7]

History

Initial production of the DF-3 was rushed due to the Zhenbao/Damansky Island conflict with the Soviet Union.[8]: 210  Supplied without a proof test, the weapons were initially rejected by the Second Artillery.[8]: 210  A proof test was completed in 1973.[8]: 210 

Deployment of the missile began in 1971,[1] reaching a peak of 110 by 1984, then shrinking to 50 in 1993. It was estimated by the U.S. DoD that there were 17 missiles and 10 launchers in operation as of 2010 under a single brigade.[5] By May 2014, it appeared that the last unit operating the DF-3A completed conversion to the DF-21 missile from satellite photos of changes to the launch unit site.[6]

The missile was used as the basis for China's first launch vehicle, the Long March 1, which launched China's first satellite, Dong Fang Hong 1, in 1970.[7]

Users

 China
People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
 Saudi Arabia
Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force
  • In 1988 China sold several dozen (reportedly between 36 and 60) DF-3A missiles to Saudi Arabia.[3][9] Saudi Arabia publicly displayed them for the first time in 2014.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "DF-3A / CSS-2". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  2. ^ Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat (Report). Defense Intelligence Ballistic Missile Analysis Committee. 1 June 2017. p. 5. NASIC-1031-0985-17. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  3. ^ a b Meick, Ethan (16 June 2014). China's Reported Ballistic Missile Sale to Saudi Arabia: Background and Potential Implications (PDF) (Report). U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  4. ^ "DF-3A - China Nuclear Forces".
  5. ^ a b Norris, Robert S.; Kristensen, Hans M. (November 2010). "Chinese nuclear forces, 2010". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 66 (6): 134–141. doi:10.1177/0096340210387046. ISSN 0096-3402.
  6. ^ a b Kristensen, Hans (21 May 2014). "Chinese Nuclear Missile Upgrade Near Dalian". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Long March | Rockets, Types, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b c Zhang, Hui (2025). The Untold Story of China's Nuclear Weapon Development and Testing: A Technical History. Belfer Center Studies in International Security. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-05182-8.
  9. ^ Mark Urban (6 November 2013). "Saudi nuclear weapons 'on order' from Pakistan". BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  10. ^ "Saudi Arabia unveils part of strategic missile force - a deterrent move against Iran?". Defense Update. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.

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