The official microblogging account of China’s Central Theater Command released a video titled “Dongfeng First Brigade in 2020” on Dec. 28. The 2:36-long video features a large number of images of the Dongfeng series of missiles, the most notable of which is the launch of a DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missile (Dongfeng-5).
The video and the related introduction do not mention the specific brigade designation, but as the title contains “First Dongfeng Brigade”, it is generally believed that it’s the former 801st Brigade of the Chinese Rocket Force (new designation after military reform unknown), the brigade was called “The first Dongfeng brigade leaning on the sky” in China’s “People’s Liberation Army Newspaper”, since then it has the nickname of “the First Dongfeng Brigade”.
It is reported that the brigade is mainly equipped with DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missiles, whose development history dates back to 1960 and is one of the longest-serving weapons in the Chinese military.
The advantage of the DF-5 over the newer Chinese ICBMs is its large payload. Because of the old-fashioned well-based deployment model, there is less need to compress itself to 40 to 60 tons for maneuverability like DF-31 and DF-41.
More tonnage means higher payloads, and for ICBMs, this means larger nuclear warhead explosive yields. This is directly reflected in the data, it is known that DF-5 can carry a nuclear warhead with an explosive yield equivalent to 4 million tons of TNT, while DF-31 and DF-41 can carry a nuclear warhead that can only provide an explosive yield of up to 1 million tons of TNT.
