Have the Chinese Created a Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile?

[ChinaToday]

The Bloomberg news agency is reporting that the United States Department of Defense says that China’s DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is of a “workable design” and may represent the world’s first weapon of its type.



In details released by the Pentagon – but not within the unclassified section of the annual report on Chinese military capabilities released last week – senior officers elaborated on the missile, as well as China’s expanding satellite and surface surveillance networks that could provide targeting data on warships in the Western Pacific region, the news agency noted in its article.



The DF-21D is said to have a range exceeding 1,500km, with at least one maneuverable warhead. Reports indicate that the missile has reached “initial operation capability”, with Taiwanese sources saying the missile has been deployed in “small numbers.”



Pentagon sources told Bloomberg that they were unsure of whether the Chinese military considered the anti-ship missile system operational or not, or whether the current array of sensors and targeting satellites was sufficient to effectively guide the weapon.



It this hype or a real threat?

Have the Chinese Created a Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile? | Ottawa Citizen Blogs

 

[lem34]

Excellant news if it is true. Congrats to our chinese brothers

 

[LetsGetRowdy]

We already know

 

[Chinese Century]

this is a brilliant weapon to counter the multi billion dollar supercarriers of the US.

this is straight out of sun tzu's art of war.

china can make dozens of these missiles, one hit on a carrier and multi billion dollar carriers are gone to waste.
US will be forced to spend more money to couter this missile and that means going more into debt.

 

[a_chinese]

this is a brilliant weapon to counter the multi billion dollar supercarriers of the US.

this is straight out of sun tzu's art of war.

china can make dozens of these missiles, one hit on a carrier and multi billion dollar carriers are gone to waste.
US will be forced to spend more money to couter this missile and that means going more into debt.

Just...no

 

[perplexed]

this is a brilliant weapon to counter the multi billion dollar supercarriers of the US.

this is straight out of sun tzu's art of war.

china can make dozens of these missiles, one hit on a carrier and multi billion dollar carriers are gone to waste.
US will be forced to spend more money to couter this missile and that means going more into debt.

what an irony.... since you are the one who has been financing their debt and will continue to do so in near future...

 

[gambit]

this is a brilliant weapon to counter the multi billion dollar supercarriers of the US.

this is straight out of sun tzu's art of war.

china can make dozens of these missiles, one hit on a carrier and multi billion dollar carriers are gone to waste.
US will be forced to spend more money to couter this missile and that means going more into debt.

We already have. It is called the Standard.

 

[S10]

According to insiders, the missile is still at development stage. A target ship has been set up and testing should commence soon. I am guessing around January next year. However, it poses no credible threat to US navy, yet. Still quite a long way before it can be deployed. I suspect Americans are just screaming about it to get more funding for their navy.

this is a brilliant weapon to counter the multi billion dollar supercarriers of the US.

this is straight out of sun tzu's art of war.

china can make dozens of these missiles, one hit on a carrier and multi billion dollar carriers are gone to waste.
US will be forced to spend more money to couter this missile and that means going more into debt.

Don't put too much hope into one system. It is simply another mean to attack a carrier group, not the entirety. Otherwise China would not spend billions developing other weapon platforms. USN is fully capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with their SM-2 and SM-3 missiles.

 

[amalakas]

According to insiders, the missile is still at development stage. A target ship has been set up and testing should commence soon. I am guessing around January next year. However, it poses no credible threat to US navy, yet. Still quite a long way before it can be deployed. I suspect Americans are just screaming about it to get more funding for their navy.


Don't put too much hope into one system. It is simply another mean to attack a carrier group, not the entirety. Otherwise China would not spend billions developing other weapon platforms. USN is fully capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with their SM-2 and SM-3 missiles.

Both 2 and 3 are very potent systems. I guess China wants to give the USN something more to worry about at this stage.

I do want to say however that a ballistic anti ship missile maybe THE hardest way to achieve that goal ever.

 

[S10]

Both 2 and 3 are very potent systems. I guess China wants to give the USN something more to worry about at this stage.

I do want to say however that a ballistic anti ship missile maybe THE hardest way to achieve that goal ever.

Hardest, but also least risky. With DF-21's range, it can be launched well away from China's coast and still hit targets as far as Japan and Philippines. Other weapon platforms, such as H-6 bombers, submarines and surface vessels, will need to approach carrier groups to launch their attacks, exposing them to risk of being destroyed. Like I said, it's just another tool in the arsenal, an unfinished one at that.

 

[amalakas]

Hardest, but also least risky. With DF-21's range, it can be launched well away from China's coast and still hit targets as far as Japan and Philippines. Other weapon platforms, such as H-6 bombers, submarines and surface vessels, will need to approach carrier groups to launch their attacks, exposing them to risk of being destroyed. Like I said, it's just another tool in the arsenal, an unfinished one at that.

if my opponent has means of detecting balistic missile launches, would you want to give him the impression you are potentially launching nukes ?

 

[below_freezing]

if my opponent has means of detecting balistic missile launches, would you want to give him the impression you are potentially launching nukes ?

with a nuclear arsenal with the "known" yield of 60% of the US's, never mind the yield of warheads in storage, does the US want to risk getting nuked off the face of the planet?

and even with a 90% interception rate of the SM-2 and SM-3s (whose actual interception rates are far lower) its a simple task to just build 10 missiles per ship. Even at 10 million USD per missile, it's still worth it.

 

[amalakas]

with a nuclear arsenal with the "known" yield of 60% of the US's, never mind the yield of warheads in storage, does the US want to risk getting nuked off the face of the planet?

and even with a 90% interception rate of the SM-2 and SM-3s (whose actual interception rates are far lower) its a simple task to just build 10 missiles per ship. Even at 10 million USD per missile, it's still worth it.

I am sorry, I don't follow,

so I am USA .. and my detection network picks up balistic missile launces (China wants to sink a carrier) but I have no idea if they are Nuclear ballistic missiles or anti ship ballistic missiles, what will I do ?

 

[huzihaidao12]

I am sorry, I don't follow,

so I am USA .. and my detection network picks up balistic missile launces (China wants to sink a carrier) but I have no idea if they are Nuclear ballistic missiles or anti ship ballistic missiles, what will I do ?

Look at the actual results, which is a conventional attack or nuclear attack? Far as I know, even in the Cold War, the only counter-principle, but also to get an actual explosion.

 

[gambit]

I am sorry, I don't follow,

so I am USA .. and my detection network picks up balistic missile launces (China wants to sink a carrier) but I have no idea if they are Nuclear ballistic missiles or anti ship ballistic missiles, what will I do ?

That is non-technical problem for China. In ballistic trajectory estimation (guessing) we can have the most accurate prediction when the warhead begins its descent. When the bus is in suborbit, it is even more vague guessing as to when and where the warheads will land. And unknown when the missile is in its ascent phase. The problem for China is unpredictability of opponent response to the uncertainty of WHAT is the attack: nuclear or non. Given historical usage of four-digits distance ballistic missiles, the assumption will be nuclear.