CHINESE DONG FENG-1 (PROJECT 1059) - GROUND TO GROUND MISSILE - 1965

Description

The Dongfeng (simplified Chinese lit.: ’East Wind’) series, typically abbreviated as "DF missiles", are a family of short, medium, intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles operated by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (formerly the Second Artillery Corps). After the signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance in 1950, the Soviet Union assisted China’s military R&D with training, technical documentation, manufacturing equipment and licensed production of Soviet weapons. In the area of ballistic missiles, the Soviets transferred R-1 (SS-1), R-2 (SS-2) and R-11F technology to China. The first Chinese ballistic missiles were based on Soviet designs. Since then, China has made many advances in its ballistic missile and rocket technology. For instance, the space launch Long March rockets have their roots in the Dongfeng missiles. The first of the Dongfeng missiles, the DF-1 (SS-2, initially codenamed ’1059’, while the ’DF-1’ designation was initially assigned to the project which later became DF-3, was a licensed copy of the Soviet R-2 (SS-2 Sibling) short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).The DF-1 had a single RD-101 rocket engine, and used alcohol for fuel with liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer. The missile had maximum range of 550 km and a 500 kg payload. Limited numbers of DF-1 were produced in the 1960s, and have since been retired. (Scale : 1/72e)