China Tests DF-41 ICBM and JL-2 SLBM

China acknowledged that on July 24, its 2nd Artillery Corp. tested DF-41 ICBM. This month, China also conducted the JL-2 SLBM test.

The Dongfeng-41 (DF-41, CSS-X-10) (Chinese: 东风-41; literally "East Wind"), is a Chinese nuclear solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile that is currently under service with the Second Artillery Corps. It has a rumoured operational range of 12,000 km, is believed to be capable of MIRV delivery (up to 10), and can cover any position on the planet. The project started in the 1980s, and is now quite likely coupled with the JL-2 program.

Military experts had expected that it could be unveiled at the 2009 National Parade. However, rehearsals of the military parade did not feature this missile.


The JL-2 (Chinese: 巨浪-2; pinyin: Jù Làng-2; literally "Giant Wave 2") is a Chinese second-generation intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) which has a two-stage, solid--liquid-fuelled propulsion design. Accurate specifications of the new missile are hard to obtain and substantiate due to the secretive nature of the program. However, the missile is thought to be able to deliver its payload(s) up to a range of 8,000 km (5,000 mi) and can carry either single or multiple warheads (conventional or nuclear).