Missile Dongfeng DF-21 (CSS-5)

Development of the DF-21 began in the late 1960s and concluded in the mid-1980s. The system entered operational service in 1991. Derived from the JL-1 submarine-launched ballistic missile, it serves as the first solid-fuel land-based ballistic missile in the Chinese inventory.

The DF-21 is a two-stage, solid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile. While originally developed as a strategic nuclear weapon, later variants are dual-capable, supporting both nuclear and conventional missions. Nuclear warhead options include 200 kt, 300 kt, or 500 kt yields. Conventional configurations utilize high explosive or submunition payloads. Guidance is provided by an inertial system supplemented by terminal active radar. Improved variants incorporate the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System to increase accuracy.

The DF-21D variant is an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) designed to strike moving naval targets, including aircraft carrier strike groups. This version utilizes maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs) and terminal sensors. Targeting data is supported by a network of electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar, and Naval Ocean Surveillance System satellites. The system is deployed on mobile transporter erector launchers. Launch operations require a 300-meter by 300-meter support area and are restricted to paved roads or prepared launch pads to prevent debris damage during the hard-launch process. Specialist variants include the SC-19, configured for anti-satellite and anti-ballistic missile roles, and the KF-21, an air-launched version carried by H-6N bombers.

The missile is widely deployed by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force. It is also operated by the Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force, which acquired a conventionally armed version in 2007. This purchase was examined by the Central Intelligence Agency to verify that the missiles were not configured for nuclear warheads.

In January 2013, a test was conducted against a target in the Gobi Desert. In August 2020, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force launched four medium-range ballistic missiles, including the DF-21D, into the South China Sea between Hainan and the Paracel Islands. This event followed the entry of a United States U-2 reconnaissance aircraft into a Chinese-designated no-fly zone. The system was displayed during military parades in Beijing in 2015 and 2025.