The DF-3A (NATO: CSS-2) is a Chinese liquid-fueled, single-stage, nuclear medium-range ballistic missile that entered service in 1971.Chinese nuclear forces, 2010. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In 1988 China sold several dozen (reportedly between 36 and 60) DF-3A missiles to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. Saudi Arabia publicly displayed them for the first time in 2014.

History

Deployment of the missile began in 1971, reaching a peak of 110 by 1984, then shrinking to 50 in 1993. It was estimated by the U.S. DoD that there were 17 missiles and 10 launchers in operation as of 2010 under a single brigade. By May 2014, it appeared that the last unit operating the DF-3A completed conversion to the DF-21 missile from satellite photos of changes to the launch unit site.Chinese Nuclear Missile Upgrade Near Dalian
- Fas.org, 21 May 2014

Users

;: People's Liberation Army Rocket Force ;: Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force

References

{{use dmy dates, date=June 2021 Ballistic missiles of the People's Republic of China Intermediate-range ballistic missiles Military equipment introduced in the 1970s