A Sparrow air-to-air missile being loaded onto an F-16 fighter at Taiwan's Hualian airbase during military drills yesterday simulating an attack by China. -- AFP
Posted on 08/20/2004 9:02:26 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
China has successfully tested a new guided missile which it says is highly accurate, state media said yesterday amid rising tensions with Taiwan.
'Several days ago, a new model of a guided missile developed and built by China was tested and achieved satisfactory success,' the China News Service quoted project researcher Feng Dawei as saying. 'The missile accurately hit its target with a high degree of precision.'
A Sparrow air-to-air missile being loaded onto an F-16 fighter at Taiwan's Hualian airbase during military drills yesterday simulating an attack by China. -- AFP The agency did not give any details about the missile's range or payload, saying only that it was developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp and that Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan attended and praised the test.
Analysts say the missile could be the C-701 which is designed to attack aircraft carriers, according to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily.
It added that the missile has a range of 15km and could be launched on land or fitted to a speedboat or a helicopter.
Earlier this month, the Washington Times reported that a US EP-3 aircraft was intercepted by China over the South China Sea while on a mission to watch for three Chinese missile tests.
China has told neighbouring Russia that it plans to flight-test a long-range DF-31, a medium-range DF-21 and a JL-2, a submarine-launched version of the DF-31, said the report.
China has recently ratcheted up its belligerent rhetoric towards Taiwan.
The two sides, diplomatic rivals since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, have been holding annual war games.
China has staged mock invasion drills while Taiwan's military has held war games to fend off such an attack.
The China News Service did not directly link the test to Taiwan, but quoted Mr Feng as saying researchers were committed to 'promoting military modernisation and realising the grand task of reunifying the motherland'.
The report also came two days after Taiwan Premier Yu Shyi-kun said China was rehearsing attacks aimed at killing or capturing the island's leaders in a 'decapitation' action based on US strikes in Iraq against Saddam Hussein.
On Monday, a Taiwan newspaper said the United States planned to sell four Aegis missile-defence warships, the most advanced US system of its kind, to the island to help protect against an estimated 500 ballistic missiles aimed at it by China.
The US$3.5-billion (S$6-billion) sale would be announced next year with delivery to begin in 2011, the China Times said.
However, the US denied the sale of Aegis warships was to proceed soon, Taiwan News yesterday quoted a defence source close to the US Department of Defence as saying.
""Analysts say the missile could be the C-701 which is designed to attack aircraft carriers, according to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily.
It added that the missile has a range of 15km and could be launched on land or fitted to a speedboat or a helicopter. "
15 kms to attack a carrier & that 2 an American one!!!!!!!!!!This probably was something like the anti-shipping version of the American Hellfire or the part on the Chinese missile test is totally bogus.
"plans to flight-test a long-range DF-31, a medium-range DF-21 and a JL-2, a submarine-launched version of the DF-31"
Now that's the big stuff!
If the 15km missile has the purpose which my amateur mind suggests it has,it could be crucial in any invasion of Taiwan.It could possibly be equipped with H-E warhead & infra red or electro optical guidance & be used against light boats,bunkers & short range AA & coastal defence installations.The Israelis are known to deploy a 26km range missile on their CH-53 helos,so the Chinese could conceivably modify their Super Frelons ,BlackHawks(courtesy Reagan) & their new Mi-17 helos or also launch them from patrol boats & give all these platforms much needed stand-off strike capability in the event that China's initial air & missile barrage destroys Taiwan's air force & it's longer range air defence batteries consisting of Hawk & Patriot missiles.
Yep I refer to that frequently,though I must add I carry 2 buckets of salt everytime I visit it.Other sites I visit include
1.http://www.jamestown.org/
2.http://www.heritage.org/
3.http:www.atimes.com
4.http://www.globalsecurity.org
No doubt the Chicoms than Clinton for his assistance in developing all their missiles.
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