Back in August, China test-launched two missiles known as “aircraft-carrier killers.” It was revealed this week by a former Chinese military official that the missiles hit a moving ship in the South China Sea to showcase the precision of the weapons in response to US military activity in the region.
When the tests were initially reported, it was believed the missiles landed in the waters of the South China Sea. But a speech published on Wednesday by Wang Xiangsui, a former Chinese military officer, said the missiles hit a moving vessel, which was their intended target.
The missiles traveled thousands of kilometers. One missile, a DF-26B, was launched from China’s northwest province of Qinghai, and the other, DF-21D, was sent from China’s eastern Zhejiang province. The tests were done after a series of provocations from the US. Throughout the summer, the US sent aircraft carrier strike groups to the South China Sea and stepped up military flights over the disputed waters.
Since 2015, the US has sailed warships into the South China Sea to challenge China’s claims to islands in the waters, operations known as Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs). FONOPs are regularly done near the Paracel Islands, which is where the Chinese set up their target ship for the missile test.
“So several days later [after US aircraft carrier maneuvers], we launched the DF-21 and DF-26, and the missiles hit a vessel sailing south of the Paracel Islands,” Wang said. “Shortly after that, an American military attaché in Geneva complained and said it would lead to severe consequences if the missiles hit an American aircraft carrier. They see this as a show of force. But we are doing this because of their provocation.”
It seems America does not like it when their Gunboat Diplomacy is thwarted and the country that they are trying to intimidate sinks a target ship where they sail around. Just remember that the US itself threatens other ships on the high seas, It has recently threatened ships around Venezuela and was instrumental in having an Iranian ship seized in International waters at the entrance to the Med! This idea that the US is the bastion of free navigation in International waters has as much truth to it as China is a Democracy, both deal with their interests only not anyone else’s! America demands its right to Hegemony, China demands its right to self defence, and be clear an Aircraft carrier sailing up and down ones coast, is a security hazard to a country, just ask the US Senate what they think of say a Russian Submarine patrolling 12.5 miles of the US coast on the surface, thy would be demanding the US Navy be all over it! Also remember what the US did to an Iranian airliner flying on a Commercial Flightpath IN Iranian Airspace, the US Navy shot it down killing over three hundred men women and children! Then gave the Captain a medal!
Of course, America is no longer a democracy – our goal is now something much higher – profit. What does anyone want to bet that the US Navy goes ahead with planning new aircraft carriers even after it has been shown that in the future they will only be very tempting targets?
One of these “carrier killer” ballistic missiles was known. It caused some freak-out, but that was somewhat limited by the range of ~1,750 km (1,000 miles).
The second of these missiles is showing a new capability, which is to extend the range to ~5,000 km (3,500 miles) for the same sort of ship killer targeted re-entry vehicle. That extra range is important, because it is far longer range than US carrier aircraft, and it reaches far out into the distant approaches to the disputed waters.
Maybe a few people knew about this, or suspected it. Maybe it is an obvious development. But now they’ve tested it in public, and hit a moving ship target at that long range. It shows their power to a wide public.
Before WW1, each side launched ever bigger battleships. Nobody was surprised it was possible, but the doing of it was still important. That is what we are seeing. “Arms race.”