Missile Dongfeng DF-41 (CH-SS-20)

The DF-41, designated by NATO as the CH-SS-20, is a fourth-generation solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile. Development of the system commenced in 1986 and progressed alongside the JL-3 program. The missile was officially revealed during the China National Day military parade in October 2019.

The missile employs a three-stage solid-fuel rocket motor and reaches a maximum speed of Mach 25. Guidance is provided via an inertial system, likely incorporating stellar updates and the BeiDou navigation satellite constellation, resulting in a circular error probable of approximately 100 meters. The DF-41 is designed for Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) delivery. The warhead configuration typically consists of three 425kT nuclear warheads, though the system is capable of carrying up to 10 re-entry vehicles. Payloads often include penetration aids intended to counter missile defense systems.

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force placed the DF-41 into service in 2017. The system utilizes multiple basing modes, including hardened silos, road-mobile transporter erector launchers, and rail-mobile platforms. Flight testing was conducted multiple times between 2013 and 2017, including a November 2017 test in the Gobi Desert and a December 2015 test of the rail-mobile variant. Strategic missile brigades have been deployed to Heilongjiang and Xinjiang provinces. Silo fields are under construction in Gansu, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia to support the deployment of long-range nuclear missiles.