China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous

December 27, 2008

Martin McCauley writes: The United States have had ample opportunities to deploy and test new weapons during the conflicts in the Gulf, in the former Yugoslavia and in Afghanistan. One of the systems in question, the cruise missile, has proven to have a devastating effect on the enemy. And it has the advantage of being launched from the air, sea or land.

The first air-to-surface missile was actually used on August 27, 1943 by the German Luftwaffe against the British warship HMS Egret. The HS (Henschel) 293 missile proved devastatingly effective. Egret became the first ship to be sunk by a missile.

Air-to-surface missiles sank many other British and Allied ships until a means was found to jam the guidance system and ensure that the missiles did not reach their targets. It was a shock for the Allies to discover that Germany was years ahead of them in developing missile technology. One of the consequences was to recruit as many German engineers as possible after hostilities had ceased. This was one of the reasons why the United States became the leader in the development of missiles.

The arms race between the superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, led to an astonishing range of missiles being developed. The daddy of them all was the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), so called because it could be launched from one continent to hit targets based at another.

With the demise of the Soviet Union the baton in the race to develop new missile technologies to rival that of the United States passed to China. Moscow freely transferred its military technology to Beijing in the past, before it realised that China was a potential competitor on the world stage. The Soviet Union had fondly imagined that China would be a junior partner in a possible military confrontation with the United States and its allies. The border ‘war’ between the Soviet Union and China along the Ussuri [Zhenbao]river in 1969 had shattered that illusion. Afterwards Beijing knew that it had to speed up its nuclear weapons programme in order to defend itself against a potential new enemy: the Soviet Union. As a consequence, conventional and nuclear missiles assumed vital importance.

China, at present, is devoting considerable attention to developing its land attack cruise missiles (LACMs). It has made great advances in manufacturing and upgrading its short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs). Then there are medium range ballistic missiles which are armed with conventional warheads. China also has intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can be moved by road to avoid easy targeting by an enemy.

Chinese experts and engineers monitor the US military operations, especially those in the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. They are particularly interested in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the missiles used there. One of these is the Tomahawk cruise missile.
The Chinese regard the main advantages of LACMs to be their accuracy, long range and low altitude of flying that makes them very difficult to detect. These advantages make cruise missiles the ideal weapon for long range precision strikes n the initial stages of a conflict. Often the use of LACMs is followed by attacks by manned aircraft. The Chinese have concluded that cruise missiles have now replaced manned aircraft as the traditional method of breaching air defences.

Chinese experts rate the performance of the Tomahawk cruise missile in Operation Desert Fox (bombing of Iraq in December 1998), in Kosovo and in Afghanistan as ‘dazzling’. However, these missiles do have a disadvantage of having relatively slow speeds and this has allowed the enemy to shoot some of the down.
Other ways of countering the Tomahawks are to use surface-to-air missiles and electronic jamming. The latter offers considerable possibilities for ‘denial and deception’.
Chinese interest in cruise missiles is linked to their perceived vulnerability in a potential conflict involving Taiwan and Japan. Despite this, China recognises that it is much easier to intercept cruise missiles than ballistic missiles. This is likely to be taken into account when planning future Chinese military operations.

Apart from land based cruise missiles, China is developing air launched cruise missiles.
Chinese land based and air launched cruise missiles may be capable of carrying nuclear warheads that would greatly enhance China’s ability in case of a nuclear attack to respond with a deadly strike. The US Defence Department does not know if China has put nuclear warheads on any cruise missiles. At the moment it is merely stating that Chinese missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

At present Guam, in the western Pacific, is a safehaven for US aircraft. The development of air-to-surface cruise missiles fired from a manned aircraft may soon cancel out this advantage. This will put the US at a serious disadvantage in a future conflict. It would have to launch missions farther and farther away from the Chinese mainland.

China has proved its ability to develop its own missile technology. However, at present it is no match for the United States. Beijing is determined to close the gap between the two countries’ defence technology. The evidence reveals it is succeeding.

Bookmark to

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to Del.icio.us

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to digg

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to reddit

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to Technorati

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to Newsvine

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to Stumble Upon

Add 'China Developing New Cruise Missiles. The Implications For The US Can Be Disastrous' to Google Bookmarks

Forget Iran With It’s Non-Existent Nukes. China Has Some Serious Nuclear Muscle To Flex
Martin McCauley writes: While the world is pre-occupied with the supposed nuclear threat from Iran, it is China’s growing nuclear arsenal that should be...
Could It Be That China Is Developing An Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile? And Would The U.S. Tolerate It?
Martin McCauley writes from the United States: Taiwan is of critical strategic importance to the People’s Republic of China. Geographically it blocks access to the...
How Close Is China To Becoming A Global Military Superpower? Very Close Indeed
(By Martin McCauley.) China’s national air defence system is fast becoming the most technically advanced in all of Asia. It is already capable of preventing...
China’s Arms Exports: A Way To Gain Access To Mineral Wealth
(This article has been provided by a leading expert on international affairs.) Last month, according to an official spokesman for the Zimbabwean government, a shipment...
Russia Freezes Delivery Of S-300 Missiles To Iran: Is It A Signal To Both Washington And Israel?
Martin McCauley writes: General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, Iranian Minister of Defence, has been in Moscow this week to discuss sensitive issues of military co-operation with Russia....