Chinese Missiles News & Discussions

[JSCh]

Need for speed
Richard Stone
Richard Stone is senior science editor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Tangled Bank Studios in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Science 10 Jan 2020:
Vol. 367, Issue 6474, pp. 134-138
DOI: 10.1126/science.367.6474.134

Despite hype and technological hurdles, a hypersonic arms race is accelerating.

Bullet-shaped interceptors defend the United States against attacking hypersonic weapons in an artist's concept. Such defenses remain hypothetical.
ILLUSTRATION: DARPA

High in the sky over northwestern China, a wedge-shaped unmanned vehicle separated from a rocket. Coasting along at up to Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound, the Xingkong-2 “waverider” hypersonic cruise missile (HCM) bobbed and weaved through the stratosphere, surfing on its own shock waves. At least that's how the weapon's developer, the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, described the August 2018 test. (China did not release any video footage.) The HCM's speed and maneuverability, crowed the Communist Party's Global Times, would enable the new weapon to “break through any current generation anti-missile defense system.”

For decades, the U.S. military—and its adversaries—have coveted missiles that travel at hypersonic speed, generally defined as Mach 5 or greater. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) meet that definition when they re-enter the atmosphere from space. But because they arc along a predictable ballistic path, like a bullet, they lack the element of surprise. In contrast, hypersonic weapons such as China's waverider maneuver aerodynamically, enabling them to dodge defenses and keep an adversary guessing about the target.


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Need for speed | Science

 

[ozranger]

Need for speed
Richard Stone
Richard Stone is senior science editor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Tangled Bank Studios in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Science 10 Jan 2020:
Vol. 367, Issue 6474, pp. 134-138
DOI: 10.1126/science.367.6474.134

Despite hype and technological hurdles, a hypersonic arms race is accelerating.

Bullet-shaped interceptors defend the United States against attacking hypersonic weapons in an artist's concept. Such defenses remain hypothetical.
ILLUSTRATION: DARPA

High in the sky over northwestern China, a wedge-shaped unmanned vehicle separated from a rocket. Coasting along at up to Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound, the Xingkong-2 “waverider” hypersonic cruise missile (HCM) bobbed and weaved through the stratosphere, surfing on its own shock waves. At least that's how the weapon's developer, the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, described the August 2018 test. (China did not release any video footage.) The HCM's speed and maneuverability, crowed the Communist Party's Global Times, would enable the new weapon to “break through any current generation anti-missile defense system.”

For decades, the U.S. military—and its adversaries—have coveted missiles that travel at hypersonic speed, generally defined as Mach 5 or greater. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) meet that definition when they re-enter the atmosphere from space. But because they arc along a predictable ballistic path, like a bullet, they lack the element of surprise. In contrast, hypersonic weapons such as China's waverider maneuver aerodynamically, enabling them to dodge defenses and keep an adversary guessing about the target.


....

Need for speed | Science

The DF-17 glider or alike won't fly out of the atmosphere to start gliding, which makes it impossible for a mid-course intercept with today's technologies.

In near space, no interceptor can rely on aerodynamic controllability due to the very thin air. So it has to maneuver using rocket powered vector thrust control. The biggest problem is, it's approaching the target from the ground up and most of its fuel and energy will be spent on cancelling the gravity and accelerating, whereas the DF-17 HGV can maneuver above in full dimensions.

Unless the interceptor can be built on a large rocket, there is no chance for it to make up a successful intercept as it requires sufficient energy to outperform the DF-17 HGV's maneuverability in a pretty long but required duration.

However, if the US really choose to build such big rocket interceptors in mass, their armed forces will go bankrupt if remaining on its current scale is also required. Small amount of big rocket interceptors will not work at all because of the low probability of successful intercepts.

On the other hand, if the US choose to develop capability and assets similar to the DF-17, they need to start from building the required infrastructure to close an at least ten-year gap. That also requires them to cut budget elsewhere, like ships, aircraft, etc.

So far they are highly hesitant on this as, if they shrink their conventional air force, navy and marines, they will definitely lose controls on some hot spots of the world and endanger their global financial hegemony deeply coupled with oils, ie. the petrodollars, and probably drug businesses as well.

The following video reveals problems in their decision making towards hypersonic weapon buildup.

The root problem is that the US ruling class always wants to maintain its current military scale to serve a well established global financial hegemony which have been successfully sucking up bloods from developed countries in the second world and developing countries in the third world for so long.

It is harder and harder for them to make it now.

 

[LKJ86]

HQ-16 SAM

Via @钢铁先锋号 from Weibo

 

[LKJ86]

HQ-17 SAM

Via @南疆号角 from Weixin

 

[LKJ86]

Via @央视军事报道 from Weixin

 

[Ich]

Go TEL them...

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

A new variant of the DF-26.

 

[fatman17]

Air-Launched Weapons
China aiming to procure airborne laser-based weapon pod
Andrew Tate, London - Jane's Defence Weekly
08 January 2020



China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has issued an invitation to tender for the procurement of a laser-based weapon pod, as reflected in an entry on the Chinese military and weapon procurement website: weain.mil.cn.

The website, which lists a "tender announcement for a laser strike pod procurement project", indicates that further information about the planned acquisition is confidential. However, the announcement was picked up by the state-owned Global Times newspaper, which focused on the likelihood that the project is aimed at delivering an airborne laser-based weapon, with the terminology "laser strike pod" suggesting that this is the capability expected to be delivered.

 

[LKJ86]

YJ-83 AShM

Via @当代海军 from Weixin

 

[LKJ86]

HQ-9 SAM

Via www.81.cn

 

[LKJ86]

Via @中国火箭军 from Weixin

 

[LKJ86]

YJ-62 AShM

Via @东海舰队发布 from Weixin

 

[LKJ86]

Via @东风快递 from Weibo

 

[JSCh]

Chinese Rocket Force exercise ensures nuclear counterattack capability
By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/16 23:18:40

China reveals its most advanced nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-41, at the National Day parade in Beijing on October 1, 2019. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force has conducted a nuclear attack survival exercise where troops in an underground missile facility had to endure extreme conditions and make sure they could still launch nuclear counterattacks.

During the undated exercise, a Rocket Force brigade mobilized into the launch bunker at an undisclosed location and completely sealed themselves off from the outside world, as the troops readied for combat, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.

The bunker was then struck by a mock hostile nuclear attack as the troops inside, fully dressed in protection suits, carried out contingency plans and operated missiles for upcoming counterattacks, according to the report.

They also simulated a situation where missile fuel leaked after a hostile strike and a troubleshooting team was immediately deployed to repair.

Tactics including a fast missile condition check, rapid logistics, bunker defense and hasty launch were also practiced, CCTV reported.

While China is one of a few countries in the world that operate nuclear weapons, it has promised no first use, a military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Thursday.

It was crucial the force survive an initial hostile strike to launch a counterattack, the expert noted. Such exercises ensure that capability and contribute to China's nuclear deterrence, the expert said.

China has a series of defense facilities located deep under mountains dubbed the "Underground Steel Great Wall," which "guarantee the security of the country's strategic arsenal" against potential attacks, including those from hypersonic weapons, Qian Qihu, a key architect of the fortifications who won China's highest science and technology award of 2018, told the Global Times in a previous interview.

At the National Day military parade on October 1 last year, China displayed the DF-5B silo-based nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile.

The parade also showcased the DF-31AG and DF-41 road-mobile ICBM, DF-26 nuclear/conventional intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) and JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

No nuke is expected to be ever used again, but China needs to protect itself by retaining its nuclear deterrent, developing and practicing with the weapons, analysts said.

 

[LKJ86]

Via @央视军事报道 from Weixin