Chinese Missiles News & Discussions

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决胜利器（4）：“东风家族”不断壮大！探秘中国新一代核打击利器 东风-5B战略核导弹使命必达 「兵器面面观」| 军迷天下

本期节目主要内容：东风夜放花千树，早在一千多年前的宋代火药已经在中国民间得到广泛应用，各种样式的烟花层出不穷，每逢节庆夜晚人们相聚在院落街头，仰看火树银花共赏漫天烟彩。当时的人们在纸筒中放入火药，然后用泥土封住一头，另一头用引信点燃，只听一声呼啸，纸筒冲天而起。这或许是人类历史上最早利用火箭推进原理升空的飞行器。然而没人能够想到，千年之后，本为娱乐众人而生的它会变身为一枚枚名叫“导弹”的庞然大物。

Decisive weapon (4): "Dongfeng family" continues to grow! Exploring China's new generation of nuclear weapon: Dongfeng-5B (DF-5B) strategic nuclear missile mission will certainly achieve its eminence

Gunpowder during the Song Dynasty, as early as over a thousand years ago, has been widely used among Chinese people. Various styles of fireworks emerge in endlessly. People gather in the streets of the courtyard at every festival nights to watch the fireworks and enjoy the colorful sparks. At that time, people put gunpowder into paper cans, and then sealed one end with mud, and the other end was ignited with a fuse. Only when they heard a whistling sound, the paper cylinder soared into the sky. This is perhaps the first aircraft in human history to use the principle of rocket propulsion to launch. However, no one could imagine that, after a thousand years it was invented to entertain people, then it would turn into a huge thing called "Missiles".

Watch the footage, it's an interesting program, though as usual, without English subtitles.

Qian Xuesen explained the Medium and Long Range Missiles and ICBM

Qian Xuesen “Two Bombs and One Satellite” - Can China engages in missiles

(Source: Quora capture)

• This segment also mentions the ballistic trajectory: “Qian Xuesen trajectory” vs. “Sanger trajectory”.

(Source: CCTV-7 capture, with added English descriptions)

(Source: Quora capture)

• Liang Sili - Deputy Chief Designer of Dongfeng-5 (DF-5)

(Source: CCTV-7 capture)

• Assassin's Mace 杀手锏 (Shashoujian)

China's missile ranges: Short; Medium; Long ranges and ICBM

 

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Via @空军新闻 from Weixin

 

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YJ-18

Via @舰船知识 from Weibo

 

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Via @北疆卫士号 from Weixin

 

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Via @高原战士 from Weixin

 

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Via @中部战区号角 from Weixin

 

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Via @南部战区 from Weixin

 

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HQ-16B SAM

Via www.81.cn

 

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An impressive short footage posted by Henri.

A DF-10A cruise missile brigade on firing practice (2020-10)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1322615459779235840

 

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Via @西部战区 from Weixin

 

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China develops two new airborne ballistic missile systems

By Henri Kenhmann | East Pendulum

While Russia has officially announced the entry into service of a new hypersonic missile known as the Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal", which is nothing less than an airborne ballistic missile system, China for its part would also be developing two vectors of the same concept but this time discreetly.

The news was first revealed in early March 2018 by Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), in his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on threats to the national security.

These capabilities are being augmented with two new air-launched ballistic missiles, one of which may include a nuclear payload - Lt. Gen. Robert ashley

Ashley said in his speech that the Chinese Rocket Force is bolstering its conventional and nuclear capabilities to accurately strike targets as far as Guam, which is the main US military base in the Western Pacific, relying on both the DF-21 anti-ship ballistic missile (in fact the DF-21D) and also the DF-26 long-range missile, itself capable of hitting fixed targets on the ground or moving at sea. All this is complemented by a growing array of cruise missiles of all kinds, as well as "two new airborne ballistic missiles, one of which could carry a nuclear charge".

The declaration of the director of the DIA, if it gives some credibility to the existence of such a development program in China, only confirms in reality the rumors circulating for two years, affirming that a platform capable of transporting a medium-range anti-ship ballistic missile - derived from the H-6K bomber and fitted with a supply pole to maintain or increase its range - would have reached the final stage of development. The first inaugural flight would have taken place in December 2016.

And the reference of H-6N, the meaning of which is not known to date (back then) [today we do know that H-6N is a variant of H-6 series bomber with capability to launch nuclear weapon attacks], also appears in some recent publications of the Chinese aircraft manufacturer AVIC (see our article on "H-6N, H-X... Chinese bomber programs are multiplying").

Not knowing its official designation given by the Chinese military, the American intelligence services referenced one of these two new Chinese missiles the "CH-AS-X-13", AS for Anti-Ship probably, and estimating the range of the machine to about 3,000 kilometers.

And according to US government sources, relayed by our colleague Ankit Panda in The Diplomat, this Chinese missile has already carried out five test shots. The first took place in December 2016, and the last in the last week of January 2018.

If it is difficult to reconstruct with open sources the first flight test of the system, because no less than 17 similar ballistic activities were recorded during the month of December alone in 2016, the last test dating from January 2018 seems easier to trace.

Indeed, if we filter the messages to airmen (NOTAM) valid between January 28 and 31 2018 and around Dingxing Air Base where most of the Chinese air weapons tests take place, we think that this fifth test reported by US sources would have taken place either on January 30, or on January 31 at two separate windows.

Just like the "Kinzhal" whose development is based on a Russian 9M723 short-range ground-to-ground ballistic missile (from the 9K720 Iskander system), it is believed that engineers from the Chinese missilier group CASIC have adopted the same approach, to reduce the development cycle, basing the design of the "CH-AS-X-13" on the DF-21 medium-range ballistic missile, and more specifically the AShBM DF-21D if the new missile is actually intended to strike large naval targets at sea.

Given the relatively large size of the DF-21/DF-21D, which measures 1.4 meters in diameter and 10.7 meters long for the land version, it is by no means surprising that the Chinese need to design a larger platform than the MiG-31K to carry and launch the new missile.

As for the estimated range of 3,000 kilometers of the "CH-AS-X-13" compared to about 1,500 km for the DF-21D, this is consistent when you consider that the announced range of the "Kinzhal" has increased fourfold compared to its twin ground-to-ground version.

View attachment 680973
DF-21D TELs (bottom) and DF-26 TELs with twice the range, both capable of hitting ships while sailing (Photo: Chinese Military)

The question now arises as to the objective of such an airborne missile system and its possible operational deployment. If this "CH-AS-X-13" is indeed designed for anti-ship, in particular against aircraft carriers which remain an "obsession" in all senses of the term of the Chinese military over the last 30 years, why develop such a capacity when it would duplicate the DF-21D ground-to-sea on the one hand, and the long-range DF-26 on the other?

Without being behind the scenes of small secrets, it is thought that the new "CH-AS-X-13" serves to expand the range of existing "anti-aircraft" weapons, and to give an additional dimension and greater operational flexibility to the overall "Anti Access / Area Denial" (A2/AD) system in China. This proliferation of offensive vectors would make counter-measures more difficult to maintain and succeed.

Its development also converts the DF-21D ground-to-sea, initially limited in range, to double its range to reach the same level as the DF-26 IRBM. On the other hand, it does not seem to be relevant both technically and operationally to develop an air-to-ground version based on the latter.

And the associated technologies would not only be dedicated to the military field and could be beneficial to some civilian programs. For example, this could allow CASIC, also a major player in the Chinese aerospace sector, to develop an airborne satellite launcher, similar to what it does with its competitor CASC with a Y-20 transport aircraft.

As for the question on the possible operational deployment of the missile, it will undoubtedly remain in the direction of the ocean, that is towards the Pacific Ocean as well as the South China Sea, with a possible extension to the Indian Ocean.

In view of its relatively short development, since the first pre-studies of an “airborne anti-ship ballistic missile” seem to have started around 2005, it would once again be a “pragmatic” and “contextual” weapon. the Chinese military, as for example the hypersonic glider missile DF-17 as well as the hypersonic reconnaissance drone of AVIC, which has a very precise and targeted objective, and would not therefore have a more general utility outside the sphere Chinese A2/AD.

View attachment 680977

One of the Chinese R&D documents dating from 2005 on the subject of the airborne ballistic missile dedicated to anti-ship missions.

Henri K.
2018-06-20

China’s New Aircraft Carrier Killer Is World’s Largest Air-Launched Missile

H I Sutton sheds some light on China's latest aircraft carrier killer: The CH-AS-X-13 air-launched anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM).

By H I Sutton | NAVALNEWS (2020-11-01)

Chinese Air Force Xian H-6N bomber launching a CH-AS-X-13 anti-ship ballistic missile over the South China Sea

Navies are racing to develop hypersonic missiles which may change the pace of naval warfare. Russia will deploy the Zircon hypersonic missile aboard warships and submarines. The US Navy has started down the path of the common hypersonic glide body (c-HGB) for its destroyers. Meanwhile China’s latest hypersonic weapon is something completely different; it is air launched.

The massive new missile, labelled CH-AS-X-13 [since the Chinese own naming is not known by the outside world], is probably the largest air-launched missile in the world.

The missile was first reported by Ankit Panda, the Stanton Senior Fellow at the Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in April 2018. More recently candid images have appeared on Chinese social media. These provide a clearer view of the novel weapon.

Analysts believe that it may be intended to target high-value warships, particularly aircraft carriers. This makes it an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM / AShBM). And it appears to be carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). This may give it extended range and increase survivability against air defenses.

The CH-AS-X-13 may be closely related to the ground based DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile. Image analysis suggests that it has different dimensions however, so may use a different rocket motor. The most likely reason for this would be the physical restrictions imposed by carrying it under an H-6 bomber. Additionally it appears to be equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) similar to the one seen on the DF-17 ballistic missile. Clearer images in the future may clarify this.

The DF-21D is believed to have a range in excess of 1,500 kilometers. The CH-AS-X-13 may have a similar range, or possibly further due to the aerial launch and a hypersonic glide vehicle. Either way, being carried by a bomber will massively increase its overall reach. The H-6N version which carries it has aerial refueling to further increase their range. The CH-AS-X-13 is therefore a threat beyond the first island chain and South China Sea. It could potentially hit targets in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, or Indian Ocean.

Even if the missile has this incredible range it will face challenges reaching its full potential. Finding and tracking an aircraft carrier at extreme ranges may be the Achilles’ heel. And a lot may depend on the survivability of the bomber itself, and the number of aircraft available for the mission. Context, of course is everything.

The H-6 bomber is not limited to the CH-AS-X-15 however. It can also carry a range of anti-ship missiles. Foremost among these is the YJ-12 supersonic missile. This is similar to the Russian Kh-31 (AS-17 Krypton) missile, but significantly larger. At least four YJ-12s can be carried, meaning that a squadron of bombers could launch a saturation attack on a Carrier Battle Group. The subsonic KD-63 (also commonly referred to as the YJ-63) can also be carried.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1321511667428167683

Having anti-ship ballistic missiles may also be used to message China’s potential adversaries. ON AUGUST 26, 2020 China test fired a DF-21D ASBM [or more possibly, two missiles, a DF-26 & a DF-21D] into the South China Sea. This was just weeks after the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan had been exercising in the area. The CH-AS-X-13 adds another dimension to the threat to carrier battle groups, so its development alone can be seen as sending a clear message of China’s increasing military confidence.

 

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Via @南部空军 from Weixin

 

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China’s ‘aircraft-carrier killer’ missiles successfully hit target ship in South China Sea, PLA insider reveals

• DF-26B and DF-21D missiles launched in August struck moving vessel close to Paracel Islands, former senior colonel Wang Xiangsui says
• ‘This is a warning to the US, asking it not to take any military risk,’ he says

Kristin Huang
Published: 7:00am, 14 Nov, 2020

....

China’s ‘aircraft-carrier killer’ missiles hit target ship, insider reveals

DF-26B and DF-21D missiles launched in August struck moving vessel close to Paracel Islands, former senior colonel Wang Xiangsui says.

www.scmp.com

 

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Not merely the different missiles came from the different directions (angles), but they differed largely in term of distance of firing (DF-26 from Qinghai at over 2300 kilometers; and DF-21D from Zhejiang at over 1400 km) as well as the missiles' own characteristics (speed etc). How to coordinate them to kiss the target at more or less the same time to create the effect of saturation attack ? Many readers just didn't imagine these underlying complexity.

China’s ‘aircraft-carrier killer’ missiles successfully hit target ship in South China Sea, PLA insider reveals

• DF-26B and DF-21D missiles launched in August struck moving vessel close to Paracel Islands, former senior colonel Wang Xiangsui says

• ‘This is a warning to the US, asking it not to take any military risk,’ he says

By Kristin Huang | South China Morning Post - 14 NOVEMBER 2020

Military vehicles carrying DF-26 and DF-21D ballistic missiles take part in a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing on 2015-09-03. Photo: internet

The TWO “aircraft-carrier killer” missiles that China launched in August 2020 travelled thousands of kilometres and hit their designated target, a MOVING SHIP, near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, according to a Chinese military expert.

This is the FIRST TIME the Chinese side has revealed details of the missile launches, which were first reported by the South China Morning Post IN AUGUST 2020. The news was later confirmed by the US military.

After the launches it was reported that the missiles fell into the South China Sea, but Wang Xiangsui, a former senior colonel who now works as a professor at Beihang University in Beijing, said they hit a ship, their intended target.

One of the missiles, a DF-26B, was launched from the northwestern province of Qinghai, while the other, a DF-21D, lifted off from Zhejiang province in China’s east.

A DF-26B IRBM was fired from Da Qaidam, Qinghai (2319km) and a DF-21D MRBM was fired from Ningbo, Zhejiang (1450km) to the Xisha Islands (Paracels) in the South China Sea on 2020-08-26.

The launches came a day after Beijing said a US U-2 spy plane entered a no-fly zone without permission during a Chinese live-fire naval drill in the Bohai Sea off its northern coast. The US Navy had earlier sent TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS into the SOUTH CHINA SEA.

“So several days later [after the aircraft carrier manoeuvres], we launched the DF-21 and DF-26, and the missiles hit a vessel sailing south of the Paracel Islands,” Wang said at a closed-door meeting in Zhejiang last month. The details of his speech were published for the first time on Wednesday (11/11).

“SHORTLY AFTER THAT, an American military attaché in Geneva complained [to us] and said it would lead to severe consequences if the missiles hit an American aircraft carrier. They see this as a show of force. But we are doing this because of their provocation,” Wang said.

His remarks were made during the four-day Moganshan forum to discuss domestic and international issues and China’s new five-year plan. The event was organised by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and attended by 80 economists, former government officials and entrepreneurs.

“This is a warning to the US, asking it not to take any military risks,” Wang said. “Such actions mark the bottom line of Sino-US confrontation.”

The missile launches came at a time of high tensions between Beijing and Washington over the disputed South China Sea.

The US Navy said ON JULY 4 it had deployed TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIER GROUPS, led by the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, to conduct tactical air defence exercises in the disputed waters “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.

Beijing blasted the manoeuvres, describing them as PROVOCATIVE, while the US said China’s missile launches were reckless and destabilising.

Song Zhongping, a former instructor with the People’s Liberation Army’s Second Artillery Corps, said the mission was evidence that China could carry out long-range precision strikes against medium to large surface vessels.

“To hit a moving object is not an easy task, especially for ballistic missiles, which normally hit a stationary target,” he said. “The mission shows Chinese missiles are a real deterrent against US warships.”

Michael Raska, an assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said China was developing advanced combat systems capable of negating the United States’ traditional military superiority.

“The key problem for the US is to sustain its long-term deterrence, particularly in contested areas, while simultaneously mitigating risks,” he said.

According to a report published by the US defence department IN SEPTEMBER, China may have already overtaken America in the area of MISSILE DEVELOPMENT and SHIPBUILDING, and is set to double its nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade.

The PLA has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles with ranges of up to 5,500km. The US has a single type of conventional ground-launched ballistic missile, with a range of 70km to 300km, the report said.