DF-5 iku didesain nalika jaman pemimpin Tu Shou'e [屠守锷] ana ing China Academy of Launch Technology (CALT); Li Xu'e) [李绪鄂] sing njabat minangka dadi ketua deputi desainer. Pluru kendhali iki diprodhuksi ing China's Factory 211 (Capital Astronautics Co. [首都航天机械公司], uga kawentar kanthi jeneng the Capital Machine Shop [首都机械厂]).