The DF-4, NATO name CSS-3, was a first-generation Chinese long-range ballistic missile developed from the 1960s. It helped extend China's nuclear reach beyond regional targets and formed part of the transitional force between early liquid-fueled missiles and later, more survivable strategic systems.
The DF-4's liquid-fueled design and older basing practices made it less responsive and less survivable than modern mobile ICBMs. Its value was strategic reach: the missile increased the number of distant targets China could hold at risk and supported deterrence before newer DF-31 and DF-41 systems matured.
Today the DF-4 is chiefly important for understanding the evolution of China's strategic forces. It shows how China moved from vulnerable, labor-intensive liquid missiles toward a mixed deterrent of silo-based, road-mobile, and submarine-launched systems designed to survive a first strike.
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