PLA NOAK missile brigades— DF-10A

The DF-10A Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) truck is fitted with a three long launch canisters, of octagonal cross section, mounted on the rear of an 8×8 truck chassis. Compared to the previous version, the DF-10, for the DF-10A, the three missiles are in one alignment.

The DF-10A missile has a warhead of 500 kg and can reach a maximum distance from 1,500 km to 2,000 km. Official Chinese media claimed that a single warhead carried by a DF-10A missile can sink a 10,000-ton vessel. Accurate to less than ten meters, the DF-10A could be used by China to strike targets throughout Russia’s Far East and Siberia, flying in under Russian radar defenses and striking critical targets. The new missile DF-10A can identify target in flight and is capable to fly at low altitude before hitting target. The DF-10A missiles use several guidance modes, including satellite navigation, inertial navigation, and terrain following, making it hard to jam or deceive.

The DF-10A surface-to-surface cruise missile is mounted on a new four-axle truck compared to the DF-10 mobile launcher unit. A crew cabin is located at the front of the truck with two doors on each side, the rear side of the crew cabin is lengthened with what could be a command post to control all the firing operations.

The DF-10A Cruise missiles is designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with an accuracy to less than ten meters. The DF-10A payload can either be a high explosive warhead or submunitions for attacking fighters on runways and tank columns, nuclear warheads and fuel air explosives. Cruise missiles have several advantages over ballistic missiles; they can be updated during flight on battlefield changes, their low flight altitude makes them very stealthy against air defense radars, and fuel efficient turbofan engines allow cruise missiles to be lighter and cheaper than their ballistic counterparts.