China Unveils DF-5C Intercontinental Missile with 20,000km Range

China revealed its new DF-5C intercontinental ballistic missile on September 3 during a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

The liquid-fueled DF-5C has an estimated range of over 20,000 kilometers, placing the entire globe within reach. The missle enhances China’s nuclear deterrence by combining technologies from earlier DF-series missiles, including the DF-5 and DF-41.

Professor Yang Chengjun, a missile technology and nuclear disarmament specialist, told state-controlled Global Times the DF-5C has six main features. It is transported in three sections for shorter launch preparation, has global strike capability, and supports multiple launch methods. Its speed, measured in tens of Mach, leaves interception systems little response time. The missile carries multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) with nuclear or conventional warheads, plus decoys. Guidance systems include inertial, starlight, and China’s Beidou, enabling precision comparable to shorter-range missiles even at maximum distance.

China displayed the missile alongside other nuclear systems, stressing its policy of defensive deterrence. It maintains a no-first-use pledge and vows not to target non-nuclear states.