Advanced aircraft, menacing missiles – China’s top air show sends a warning to the US

[beijingwalker]

Advanced aircraft, menacing missiles – China’s top air show sends a warning to the US​

• Anti-ship hypersonic YJ-21 missile makes first public appearance at top Chinese air show
• This year’s military display less about sales, more about messages, experts say

Published: 9:01pm, 8 Nov, 2022

An anti-ship hypersonic missile made its public debut as China showcased its latest collection of warplanes and cutting-edge weapons during the opening of its leading air show on Tuesday.
The missile is an export version of China’s YJ-21, also known as the Eagle Strike 21 air-launched ballistic missile, which has a combat range of more than 2,000km (1,240 miles).

Military experts said the weapon’s appearance at the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, could be seen as a warning to the United States on Taiwan.

Two missiles sporting the designation “2PZD-21” were seen mounted under the wings of an H-6K strategic bomber that landed at Jinwan airport in Zhuhai, the southern coastal city where the biennial air show is being held until Sunday.

Two missiles coded “2PZD-21” were seen tucked under the wings of an H-6K strategic bomber at Airshow China in Zhuhai. Photo: Zhang Tong

The signature conical shape of the missile’s warhead is similar to the Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal nuclear-capable, high precision hypersonic air-launched missile, which is said to be able to reach Mach 12 with a range of more than 2,000km.

Dubbed the “carrier killer”, the Kh-47 Kinzhal can be launched from a MiG-31K interceptor or a Tu-22M3 bomber. But experts said the Chinese variant was more powerful and would deter US warships from entering the region in the event of a conflict.

Andrei Chang, editor-in-chief of the Kanwa Asian Defence military magazine in Canada, said the Chinese YJ-21 missile was also bigger than the Russian Kh-47s, meaning its combat range would be more than 2,000km.

“It’s not clear the size of the YJ-21, but the Russian Kh-47 is up to 500kg (1,100lbs), and each MiG-31 fighter jet could only carry one missile. That’s why the Chinese use the heavy H-6K strategic bomber to launch the YJ-21 missiles,” Chang said.

“The showcase of YJ-21 at the air show aims at warning the US not to intervene in Beijing’s plan to take Taiwan back by force, as none of the US sea-based air defence systems are able to intercept the hypersonic missile.”

Zhou Chenming, a researcher at the Yuan Wang think tank in Beijing, said the combat range and speed of the YJ-21 missile was superior to the Kh-47 type, as was its precision strike capability.

“The PLA has tried to upgrade the speed, range and precision of the YJ-21 in the past years,” Zhou said. “The missile aims to intimidate Taiwan’s independence-leaning forces.”
However, Chang said the appearance of the YJ-21 hypersonic missile was only intended to send a message to the US, not Taiwan, since the Taiwanese military would be no match for such a weapon.

The weapon display comes about six months after the People’s Liberation Army Navy released a video of a ship-based YJ-21 being launched from a Type 055, the navy’s largest and most advanced destroyer. The video appeared as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was conducting exercises with the Japanese navy near the Korean peninsula in April.

Beijing sees Taiwan as a renegade province and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. Washington normalised relations with Beijing and cut off official ties with Taipei in 1979, but it opposes any attempt to take the island by force.

China used to showcase its advanced weapon systems for the purpose of selling them to overseas clients.
But Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said the purpose of showing the YJ-21 was to create a deterrence rather than sales, since its range far exceeded the 300km range for the international weapon market.

On Tuesday, the PLA Air Force’s August 1st aerobatic team performed at the show’s opening ceremony, while the country’ most advanced stealth fighter jet, the J-20 Mighty Dragon, led displays of the country’s other “20 series” aircraft, including the Y-20 heavy lifter, the Z-20 helicopter, the J-16D electronic warfare aeroplane, and the J-10C fighter jet.

This year’s air show also saw the debut of an anti-drone combat system, which combines unmanned equipment, an early-warning detection system and a portable weapon. It was inspired by recent global conflicts including the ongoing war in Ukraine, where shoulder-fired, portable rocket launchers have been widely used.

Advanced aircraft, menacing missiles – China’s air show sends a warning

The anti-ship hypersonic YJ-21 missile made its first public appearance at the Zhuhai air show, in what experts say is a warning to the US.

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