Dragon's teeth - Chinese missiles raise their
game
http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jni/jni061219_1_n.shtml
Dragon's teeth - Chinese missiles raise their game
By Robert Hewson
China now builds and supplies missiles that can be used in combat
from the beach, across the coastal/littoral environment, and out to
extended-range engagements far over the horizon. This has largely
been achieved through an evolutionary process of staged
improvement.
At the same time, China has shown that it can embrace entirely new
concepts to serve the essential operational requirements of the
People's Liberation Army, the navy and naval air force, and the air
force.
The potential use of tactical ballistic missiles against targets at
sea is the best example of this and the intent that drives the
process is clear: China has spent a great deal of time analysing
how best to neutralise US naval forces in the Pacific - in
particular the carrier strike groups.
C-602
The C-602 stands apart from the rest of China's anti-ship missiles
because it is such a radical departure in terms of range and
accuracy. It is effectively a cruise missile, repackaged for the
maritime attack role. Its basic design is clearly scalable and the
C-602's performance today is probably at the lower end of this
configuration's theoretical capabilities. It has been offered on
the export market since 2005.
At first sight the C-602 export designation would suggest a linkage
to the much older C-601 missile (YJ-6/YJ-61 family), a 1960s-era
Chinese design based on the Soviet SS-N-2 'Styx'. However, the
turbojet-powered C-602 is a completely new, very modern design with
a maximum range of 280 km.
Going ballistic
Most of what China has accomplished in the development of its
anti-ship missile -capabilities parallels that of Europe, the US
and elsewhere. But one element of China's ship-killing strategy
stands out as a remarkable application of technology, and an
unprecedented threat.
In Chinese terms, this is a Shashaojian - the assassin's mace - a
'silver bullet' weapon that would, literally, drop from the clear
blue sky.
A 2004 report by the US Office of Naval Intelligence made it plain
that China was developing the capability to use its DF-21 tactical
ballistic missiles (TBMs) against tar¬gets at sea. The DF-21
carries a single warhead of about 500/600 kg over a distance of
1,500 km to 2,000 km, or more.
Designed as a nuclear delivery system, the DF-21 can also be fitted
with a conventional payload. If made to work, such a weapon would
be a 'carrier killer' without equal.
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© 2006 Jane's Information Group
