The US-led coordinated strikes on Syria last week, in response to the Assad regime’s suspected use of chemical weapons, has given the Chinese military more impetus to develop its own precision airborne strike systems.
The Pentagon once again showcased its highly sophisticated weapons capabilities when targeted missile strikes allegedly crippled Assad’s chemical weapon facilities in the Syrian capital of Damascus and elsewhere.
People’s Liberation Army strategists and weapons experts followed the operation closely, taking note of the allied forces’ preparedness and potency in launching offensives.
US Joint Staff Director General Kenneth McKenzie said earlier this week that together with France and the United Kingdom, the joint raid deployed 105 missiles on Syrian targets and all the aircraft used returned safely to their bases.
The Beijing-based Global Times has admitted that the US “leads the world in precision strikes with battlefield experience and a comprehensive arsenal.”
Precision strikes rely on military expertise in global reconnaissance and early warnings, directing and navigating attacks as well as data links and command systems.
The tabloid also noted that the PLA has been quietly honing its precision attack capabilities over the years, building on China’s strides in technology such as with global navigation and positioning systems. For instance, more BeiDou satellites will be put into orbit this year to beef up coverage and precision to rival the military version of the US’s Global Positioning System.
State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday that the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force had “activated” new intermediate, long-range missiles tailor-made for precision strikes against targets both onshore and offshore.
These missiles could contain nuclear warheads, but the report did not give details about the missile’s specifications.
Some analysts believe the missiles could be a new variant of the DF-26 class, with a hit radius of 3,000-4,000 kilometers that brings the US military installations on the outpost of Guam within its range.
Information on the DF-26 since its media debut at a 2015 parade show that the versatile and conventional anti-ship ballistic missiles, nicknamed Guam Express, can look for and lock onto moving targets on land and at sea, such as an aircraft carrier, while cruising at a top speed of up to 18 times the speed of sound after re-entry into the atmosphere.
As shown on the CCTV program, a PLA Rocket Force brigade is equipped with 18 such missiles.
Chinese commentators say they believe that the timing of the DF-26’s entry into full deployment versus the Pentagon’s ongoing raid on Syria can be a hint of the covert rivalry between Beijing and Washington as China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ma Zhaoxu, joined his Russian counterpart in condemning Washington’s “encroachment of Syria’s sovereignty and UN’s principles.”
Unlike ballistic missiles that are shot into space by rocket motors and reenter the atmosphere at very high speeds, the jet-powered cruise missiles are much slower. Cruise missiles are harder to hit because they “cruise” along close to the ground and are invisible to radar due to the ground clutter. But once they appear on the horizon near the targets, they could be taken out using normal anti-aircraft guns, gattling machine guns and line of sight anti-aircraft missiles by experienced air defence crews who had expected a cruise missile attack. Video clips on Syrian TV showed cruise missiles appearing over the horizon and close the ground like a plane cruising at sub-sonic speed. If all 103 missiles did hit their 3 targets, assuming 31 missiles at each site, the damage could have been very much greater than that shown on Syrian TV. The Russian reported that most missiles were taken out by air defence crews of military airports because the cruise missile attack on the research centre was a ruse to attack the military airports and cripple Syrian ability to launch air strikes on rebel bases. Either that or the cruise missiles lost their way by Russian jamming of GPS signals, strayed to the military airports and were shot down there. ????
#Amr Boudj, how observant!
Another gem: Chinese population outnumber America’s by ONE BILLION!
Zahid Ali Baig What is so especially about pak army you are vouching for.What is their stature in the world order.What so special about nukes of pak gifted by Chinese having no credibility.And the western forces will pulverise and bombed pak to Stone age sooner than later afterwards North Korean demise at the hands of US led western forces
Weng D Arroyo it true
Haha USA said that They hit all The target. My brother is in syria and he have sen american misils on The ground not exploded and russians took them. And many Was knock Down. He Will show US in sweden when he come home. Haha
If they deploy it will anger the west and if they deploy and don’t use against them. It will give bad name to s300 and s400.
Zahid Ali Baig hahaha
So funny.
Weng D Arroyo you and your family should be attack and exterminated by terrorists so that you would understand how pitty putting your heart to insects and plagues of our world..go live in china or in syria and dont ask Jesus why?
Weng D Arroyo the dragon will sleep forever and will not wake up like you are dreaming of building a hut on spratleys.