Posted on 02/09/2011 9:13:19 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
It looks like this is the week China’s military rapidly advancing military tech keeps getting the limelight . First, we saw pics of the Asian giant’s new stealth fighter. Now, it looks like China is one step closer to fielding ballistic missiles aimed at holding U.S. forces throughout the Pacific at bay.
Adm. Robert Willard, the top U.S. officer in the Pacific said this week that China’s new DF-21D anti-ship balistic missiles, with their 900-mile range, have reached an early operational status.
Apparently, the missiles, widely fretted over in Washington as one of the most serious threats to the United States’ ability to project power in the Pacific (read here, here and here) have reached the equivalent of initial operational capability, Willard said in an interview with the Japanese Newspaper, Asahi Shimbun.
While the U.S. hasn’t seen an “over water” test of the missile, Willard says that the fact that the system is at IOC, means it can likely hit intended targets.
Typically, to have something that would be regarded as in its early operational stage would require that that system be able to accomplish its flight pattern as designed, by and large.
He goes on to say that while the missiles are not yet as serious a threat to American aircraft carriers as submarines are, they do represent one more layer of a complex anti-access, area denial system ranging from advanced surface to air missiles to submarines and the new ballistic missiles which could strike either U.S. allies or its carriers and bases in the region.
(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...
They are still cannon fodder for SLBMs which can strike from much further away.
So this is where Iran is getting the anti-ship missiles.
You are correct. With their 7000 mile range you can guess their launch points.
One thought: SM-3 Blk II. Take them out exo-atmospheric before they re-enter and can start serious maneuvering.
Isn’t this the one that has to come back down from a high arch space shot, that can be seen coming for minutes? The one that requires real-time satellie observation to find the moving target?
Guess the chicoms didn’t think about “that”, or maybe they thnk we’ll just leave their spy-sat all alone and look the other way at incoming.
Like ruski mil-junk, this stuff is more useful toward civilians or poorly prepared or outsized Asian neighbors. That said, it would be ill advised to get into some Asian land war with the hoard.
In theory. That has not been tested either in a simulation or a live fire test exercise.
Don’t tell Gates or Obama about this. They think the Red Chinese are our friends. Shhh!
Loose lips may save our ships!
They also are much, much more powerful than these ASBM’s whose launch would provoke a strategic SLBM launch. They launch one it will be Sayonara.
Each Trident nuclear MIRV is 475 kilotons. Each missile carries 5 MIRVs.
I agree. He is totally incompetent when it comes to National Defense issues.
Israel, for some reason, helps the Chinese with some electronics, some air to air missiles, and it looks like a lot of the F-10.
What do they get in return?
China helps Iran with its surface to surface missile program and now Iran produces both the C-801 and C-802 missiles. Iran gives some C-802s to Hezbollah in Lebanon, one of which is shot at an Israeli missile corvette. Only a partial hit, but it does kill an Israeli sailor.
Since China is expecting a severe drought, and since we owe them so much money, why don’t we pay the off in corn & wheat … and poison it!
They already started it by poisoning our children with lead paint on toys and our pets with tainted dog food.
ping
If 0bama could get away with it, he’d probably pay off the Chinese by turning over the whole Fleet to them.
I'm afraid our enemies are making that very same calculus in their own war games. That should scare the Shiite, out of everyone.
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