Potential new Chinese weapon

[Guest guest]

Weapons like this one have been considered for some time. They would indeed be very hard to stop and would be quite lethal, especially if fired in a large volley. What kept the US from developing these things was cost on one hand and also the fear that if we fired these at a Russian fleet, they might think it was a nuclear attack and respond in kind.

If the Chinese do indeed have such a weapon, our navy will be in deep trouble, perhaps putting Taiwan on its own.

Perhaps this will mean less surface ships and more submarines?

https://www.usni.org/forthemedia/ChineseKillWeapon.asp

Report: Chinese Develop Special "Kill Weapon" to Destroy U.S. Aircraft rs

Advanced missile poses substantial new threat for U.S. Navy

U. S. Naval InstituteMarch 31, 2009

With tensions already rising due to the Chinese navy becoming more aggressive in asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy seems to have yet another reason to be deeply concerned.

After years of conjecture, details have begun to emerge of a "kill weapon" developed by the Chinese to target and destroy U.S. aircraft carriers.

First posted on a Chinese blog viewed as credible by military analysts and then translated by the naval affairs blog Information Dissemination, a recent report provides a description of an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that can strike carriers and other U.S. vessels at a range of 2000km.

The range of the modified Dong Feng 21 missile is significant in that it covers the areas that are likely hot zones for future confrontations between U.S. and Chinese surface forces.

The size of the missile enables it to carry a warhead big enough to inflict significant damage on a large vessel, providing the Chinese the capability of destroying a U.S. supercarrier in one strike.

Because the missile employs a complex guidance system, low radar signature and a maneuverability that makes its flight path unpredictable, the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased. It is estimated that the missile can travel at mach 10 and reach its maximum range of 2000km in less than 12 minutes.

Supporting the missile is a network of satellites, radar and unmanned aerial vehicles that can locate U.S. ships and then guide the weapon, enabling it to hit moving targets.

The ASBM is said to be a modified DF-21

While the ASBM has been a topic of discussion within national defense circles for quite some time, the fact that information is now coming from Chinese sources indicates that the weapon system is operational. The Chinese rarely mention weapons projects unless they are well beyond the test stages.

If operational as is believed, the system marks the first time a ballistic missile has been successfully developed to attack vessels at sea. Ships currently have no defense against a ballistic missile attack.

Along with the Chinese naval build-up, U.S. Navy officials appear to view the development of the anti-ship ballistic missile as a tangible threat.

After spending the last decade placing an emphasis on building a fleet that could operate in shallow waters near coastlines, the U.S. Navy seems to have quickly changed its strategy over the past several months to focus on improving the capabilities of its deep sea fleet and developing anti-ballistic defenses.

As analyst Pritchett notes in a post on the U.S. Naval Institute blog:

"The Navy's reaction is telling, because it essentially equals a radical change in direction based on information that has created a panic inside the bubble. For a major military service to panic due to a new weapon system, clearly a mission kill weapon system, either suggests the threat is legitimate or the leadership of the Navy is legitimately unqualified. There really aren't many gray spaces in evaluating the reaction by the Navy…the data tends to support the legitimacy of the threat."

In recent years, China has been expanding its navy to presumably better exert itself in disputed maritime regions. A recent show of strength in early March led to a confrontation with an unarmed U.S. ship in international waters. Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less.

[Guest guest]

This missile could also be fired from land. They could either build hardened silos with air defense systems or they could keep them on mobile launchers. With its estimated range, they could be kept far inland out of range of naval weapons but still be able to threaten their territorial waters and beyond.

China wouldn't need countermeasures yet since it doesn't have a fleet like ours, nor do most of its allies. Besides, a system like this, if it exists and works, will be extremely expensive to defend against. It will be much cheaper to modify the warheads than it will be to create and upgrade the systems to shoot them down.

In a message dated 3/31/2009 11:16:07 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Many Middle Eastern countries including Iran have subs that are capable of firing this weapon. I would not doubt it if they bought such weaponry from the Chinese. You can bet that if the Chinese have the weapon, they also have countermeasures against it. So they would have no trouble selling it to a country like Iran.Administrator Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less.

[Guest guest]

" First posted on a Chinese blog viewed as credible by military analysts and then

translated by the naval affairs blog Information Dissemination, a recent report

provides a description of an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that can strike

carriers and other U.S. vessels at a range of 2000km. "

Many Middle Eastern countries including Iran have subs that are capable of

firing this weapon. I would not doubt it if they bought such weaponry from the

Chinese. You can bet that if the Chinese have the weapon, they also have

countermeasures against it. So they would have no trouble selling it to a

country like Iran.

Administrator