The World's First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile 'Dongfeng-21D'

[Military Analyst Kim Daeyoung]The Dongfeng (DF)-21 series ballistic missiles are well known as medium-range ballistic missiles operated by the Rocket Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Among them, the Dongfeng-21D (DF-21D) is an anti-ship ballistic missile specially developed to attack large surface combatants such as aircraft carriers. Because of this, the DF-21D has earned the special nickname "Chinese aircraft carrier killer."

The DF-21 began development in the 1980s based on the Julang (Giant Wave)-1 submarine-launched ballistic missile, the first of its kind developed by the Chinese military. Unlike previous Chinese ballistic missiles, the Julang-1 uses solid fuel as its propellant. While some submarine-launched ballistic missiles use liquid fuel, most opt for solid fuel considering missile operation underwater. However, the Julang-1, whose development started in 1965, faced difficulties in solid fuel development and underwent over a decade of various tests. It was only in 1982 that it successfully passed underwater launch tests.

The DF-21 successfully completed its first test launch in 1985, and full-scale production began in 1989. Over time, the DF-21 underwent upgrades that gradually improved its accuracy. The original DF-21 and its upgraded variant, the DF-21A, are known to have a range of approximately 1,700 km. However, the original DF-21 had a circular error probable (CEP) of about 700 meters. For reference, CEP refers to the radius of a circle within which more than half of the launched missiles or shells are expected to fall. In contrast, the DF-21A reduced this to 50 meters. The subsequent DF-21B variant achieved a CEP of 10 meters. The DF-21 series ballistic missiles can be equipped with either nuclear or conventional warheads depending on the mission.

Additionally, the Saudi Arabian Strategic Missile Force has also imported and operates the DF-21 series ballistic missiles from China. The final model of the DF-21 series, the DF-21D, was first revealed during the military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the Anti-Japanese War on September 3, 2015. The DF-21D is operated from a TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) and is launched using a cold launch method. Its range is reported to be 1,500 km, and it uses the BeiDou navigation system (China's version of GPS) and radar for guidance. This enables precision strikes with an error margin within 10 meters.

The DF-21D is also known as the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile. However, the Chinese military has yet to release experimental videos or photos showing the DF-21D striking moving surface vessels. This has led some analysts to question the missile's effectiveness. Nevertheless, the DF-21D is regarded as a core weapon system in China's anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategy.