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Chinese develop anti aircraft carrier ballistic missile.
U. S. Naval Institute ^ | 3-31-2009 | U. S. Naval Institute

Posted on 04/06/2009 7:58:46 AM PDT by freedomwarrior998

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.

ASBM is said to be a modified DF-21 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 Raymond 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.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aircraftcarrier; armsbuildup; china; chinesemilitary; missle; navy; redchina; usnavy
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1 posted on 04/06/2009 7:58:46 AM PDT by freedomwarrior998
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To: freedomwarrior998

Cruise missile capabilities are well-known, but can someone tell me how a (conventionally-armed) ballistic missile could possibly hit a rapidly moving aircraft carrier?


2 posted on 04/06/2009 8:00:42 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin is a smart missile aimed at the heart of the left!)
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To: Jeff Head

Of interest ping!


3 posted on 04/06/2009 8:01:20 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin is a smart missile aimed at the heart of the left!)
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To: freedomwarrior998; Evil Slayer
Report: Chinese Develop Special "Kill Weapon" to Destroy U.S. Aircraft Carriers
4 posted on 04/06/2009 8:01:25 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

A fleet carrier can do what? 40 plus knots at flank speed?

But could a carrier group outrun or evade a missile traveling at ballistic speed?

Do not answer, please, if answer requires classified info.


5 posted on 04/06/2009 8:04:49 AM PDT by RexBeach ("Do your duty in all things." Robert E. Lee)
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To: freedomwarrior998

6 posted on 04/06/2009 8:05:19 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: freedomwarrior998
Great news, particularly coming on the day that Gates, the defense secretary, is about to tell us all the weapons systems programs he wants to end or cut back, in line with the blind belief that “asymmetric”wars like Afghanistan are all we need worry about.
7 posted on 04/06/2009 8:06:25 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

“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.”

ASBM are bad news for the US Navy. The loss of even one carrier would be devestating. This is something we need to deal with.


8 posted on 04/06/2009 8:08:48 AM PDT by RC one
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To: RexBeach

time for a missle defense shield, got to stop them red chinese. we gave tehm the money and technology to build this stuff, stupid us.

yes a carreir might make 50 mph, not sure if all teh support ships that sail with it can do that speed, and a carrier must have them support ships for defence. Our carriers are not well armored, they are soft targets, scarey stuff. a missle at mach 10, even lacking a war head is a big deal.

now if we had them airplane based laser guns, to kill missles in flight, we might have a good chance at defence.

maybe teh ship based missle defences can help agisnt this kind of attack.

rotten commie chinese


9 posted on 04/06/2009 8:09:58 AM PDT by dhm914
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To: Wuli

I hate Gates. He thinks the Raptor is unnecessary too. If that program gets cut because of his inability to see beyond Iraq and Afghanistan I will be absolutely furious. I have already written my senator and informed him of this.


10 posted on 04/06/2009 8:10:53 AM PDT by RC one
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: freedomwarrior998

Okay, so, is this a ballistic missile or a cruise missile variant?

If this thing is nothing more than some sort of ballistic JDAM, I would think that once it reaches apogee, there is a limit to the radius of the kill zone it can be guided into.

Something moving at Mach 10 doesn’t change direction very well.


12 posted on 04/06/2009 8:12:19 AM PDT by stylin_geek (Senators and Representatives : They govern like Calvin Ball is played, making it up as they go along)
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To: dhm914

Go back to DU troll.


13 posted on 04/06/2009 8:13:40 AM PDT by RC one
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To: freedomwarrior998

Here is the answer. One downed carrier and one downed China.


14 posted on 04/06/2009 8:15:32 AM PDT by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: dhm914
This is nothing new or even more dangerous. Terminal stage ballistic weapons are normal targets for Aegis, Patriot, and Hawk missile systems currently in use.

This Chinese PR threat is nothing to worry about.

The North Korean ballistic missile they just launched probably hit mach 10 during re-entry.

15 posted on 04/06/2009 8:28:04 AM PDT by SENTINEL (SGT USMC GWI)
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To: SENTINEL
This Chinese PR threat is nothing to worry about.

Not right now. But in 10-15-20 years...The US is going to be awash in red ink and entitlement programs from here on out and our military programs I feel will be curtailed.

China is floating in foreign currency and has lot's of money to spend on military R&D.

16 posted on 04/06/2009 8:33:18 AM PDT by tc45a
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To: RC one
Go back to DU troll.

Why is he a troll? What is say's is a fact.

17 posted on 04/06/2009 8:34:45 AM PDT by tc45a
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To: Logical me

At Mach 10, there is no such thing as a small targeting adjustment.


18 posted on 04/06/2009 8:36:55 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Virginia Ridgerunner

When you can control flight and direction at 10,000 MPH, hitting a 5 acre target traveling at 60 MPH is child’s play.

The days of the carrier group are rapidly coming to an end. They were predicated on complete air superiority (needed to protect the ships). As new ways to make air superiority irrelevant are developed, the carrier group becomes more and more vulnerable, and eventually becomes as useless as a battleship - vulnerable to attack by everyone, slow, and actually a hindrance to battle.


19 posted on 04/06/2009 8:40:36 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: AppyPappy

At mach 10, a 60 MPH target is essentially standing still!


20 posted on 04/06/2009 8:41:47 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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