DF-21D What is it? China’s “Carrier Killer,” an anti-ship ballistic missile.

Their Counterparts in the WorldChinaAnti-ShipBallisticCASIC DF-21DThe Only Ballistic Missile That Can Hit a Moving Aircraft Carrier DF-21D is the world’s first operational anti-ship ballistic missile developed by China (ASBM — Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile). Classic ballistic missiles hit fixed land targets; the DF-21D, on the other hand, targets moving U.S. aircraft carriers. Designed to prevent the U.S. Pacific fleet from approaching Taiwan with a range of 1,500 km. That’s why it is called the aircraft carrier killer. The flagship weapon of China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy. İçerik TablosuWhat is the DF-21D?Technical SpecificationsImpact on U.S. Pacific StrategySimilar Systems WorldwideRelated NewsGeneralSpecificationsComparisonSources Range≈1,500 kmestimated TargetAircraft CarrierU.S. SpeedMach 10+terminal TypeMRBM ASBMaircraft carrier killer What is the DF-21D?Aircraft Carrier Killer DF-21D (Dong Feng-21D) is the world’s first operational anti-ship ballistic missile produced by the Chinese company CASIC. Its NATO code name is CSS-5 Mod-4. The reason this weapon is revolutionary is as follows: Classic ballistic missiles hit fixed land targets (a city, a command center, an airbase). The target’s coordinates are known before firing. The DF-21D is designed to hit a moving aircraft carrier. An aircraft carrier can travel at 50 km per hour in open sea; at the moment of firing, its location is uncertain every minute. The solution: the missile locates and locks onto the large metal target at sea (the aircraft carrier) with its radar and electro-optical sensors at the front upon re-entering the atmosphere. At that moment, the speed reaches Mach 10+; the escape time for the ship is almost nonexistent. Strategic objective: “anti-access/area denial” (A2/AD). China aims to make it impossible for U.S. aircraft carriers to approach Taiwan to deter possible U.S. intervention in the Taiwan issue. The DF-21D’s range of 1,500 km reaches the entire First Island Chain (Japan-Taiwan-Philippines). U.S. defense analysts describe the DF-21D as a “game changer” — the assumptions about U.S. naval operations in the Pacific have changed with this weapon. In response, the U.S. continues to develop the SM-3 / SM-6 Standard Missile family; U.S. aircraft carriers are shifting towards the use of long-range munitions and unmanned platforms to avoid entering direct range. Its longer-range sibling, the DF-26 (over 4,000 km), is known as the “Guam Hunter” — it can reach U.S. bases in Guam. The family continues to expand. Range≈1,500 kmestimated TargetAircraft CarrierU.S. SpeedMach 10+terminal Service2010+operational NicknameAircraft Carrier KillerU.S. pressFamilyDF-21/26CASIC Technical SpecificationsFeatureValue TypeAnti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) ManufacturerCASIC NATO CodeCSS-5 Mod-4 Previous VariantsDF-21A/B/C land target Weight≈14,700 kg Length≈10.7 m Range≈1,500 km (DF-21D); 4,000+ km (DF-26 older brother) SpeedMach 10+ (terminal reentry) WarheadManoeuvrable reentry vehicle (MaRV) GuidanceINS + BeiDou + terminal active radar/optical LaunchTEL — truck-mounted vertical launch Target LocationActive seeker during atmospheric reentry Service2010+ (DF-21D operational) NicknameCarrier Killer / Hangmu Shashou FamilyDF-21 (MRBM, various land-based), DF-26 (IRBM), DF-17 (HGV) Impact on U.S. Pacific Strategy The U.S. keeps the carrier group away from the shores of TaiwanThe U.S. transitions to distributed maritime operationsLong-range weapons for smaller platformsIncreased investment in defense SM-3 / SM-6The U.S. Navy is moving towards unmanned platformsAccelerated hypersonic counterstrike weaponsEquivalent in Turkey: ATMACA national anti-ship (sea launch) Similar Systems Worldwide SystemManufacturer / CountryRangeTarget DF-21DCASIC — 🇨🇳≈1,500 kmAircraft Carrier DF-26CASIC — 🇨🇳≈4,000 kmShip+land TsirkonNPO Mash — 🇷🇺≈1,000 kmShip (Mach 8) Hyunmoo-2CADD — 🇰🇷≈800 kmLand BrahMosBrahMos — 🇮🇳/🇷🇺≈600 kmMultiple TAYFUN Block-4Roketsan — 🇹🇷≈1,000+ kmLand ballistic AGM-158C LRASMLockheed — 🇺🇸≈930 kmShip (cruise) The term “carrier killer” is also a political psychological weapon. China uses the DF-21D as a deterrent instrument for Taiwan and the Pacific; its technical effectiveness has not been proven in actual combat. But the mere existence of the weapon has affected U.S. naval strategy — in this sense, its success is undeniable. 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DF-21D What is it? China’s “Carrier Killer,” an anti-ship ballistic missile.

Technical Specifications

Impact on U.S. Pacific Strategy

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DF-21D What is it? China’s “Carrier Killer,” an anti-ship ballistic missile.

Technical Specifications

Impact on U.S. Pacific Strategy

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

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