Revealed: The Details of China's Latest Hit-To-Kill Interceptor Test

[ChineseTiger1986]

The Chinese ballistic missile defense test that took place on February 5 involved a Dong Neng-3 (DN-3/KO09) hit-to-kill midcourse interceptor successfully striking a target DF-21 (CSS-5) medium-range ballistic missile, The Diplomat has learned from a U.S. government official with knowledge of China’s weapons programs.

The interceptor in the test was launched from the Korla Missile Test Complex, in China’s Xinjiang province. China has been conducting tests of the DN-3 interceptor since 2010. The system’s target capabilities are analogous to U.S. Standard Missile-3 midcourse interceptors, but it has yet to be successfully tested against an intermediate-range or intercontinental-range-class target. (The DN-3 is also thought to be physically much larger than the U.S. SM-3 series of missiles.)

The test was publicly reported by Chinese state media, though few details were provided. On February 5, PLA Daily reported that “China carried out a land-based mid-course missile interception test within its territory.”

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The report added that the “test has achieved the desired objectives,” while noting that it was “defensive in nature” and “not targeted against any country.” The Chinese statement did not confirm that the test was intended to intercept a target missile.

This latest DN-3 interceptor test came shortly after India conducted the fifth known flight-test of its Agni-V missile, a near-intercontinental-range system, with a range within 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers, depending on its payload.

Exoatmospheric midcourse kinetic interceptors like China’s DN-3 target an incoming ballistic target after its active flight phase has concluded and the missile is outside the earth’s atmosphere, on its way toward descending at hypersonic speeds. This capability also makes the DN-3 a capable anti-satellite (ASAT) platform.

To successfully intercept targets in this phase, the interceptor must reach sufficient velocity and have sophisticated enough on-board sensors to successfully collide with the incoming target, using nothing but its kinetic energy to destroy the target.

China’s latest successful DN-3 test also comes just days after the U.S. Missile Defense Agency saw a second Standard Missile-3 Block IIA midcourse interceptor failure, compounding on a failure from 2017 that the Agency attributed to human error. (The test targeted a more challenging intermediate-range ballistic missile target than the MRBM-class DF-21 target the Chinese DN-3 intercepted.)

The DN-3 is thought to be China’s most capable midcourse hit-to-kill interceptor, but the country has other systems capable of exoatmospheric ballistic and anti-satellite interception, including the DN-2, the HQ-19, and the ASAT-oriented SC-19.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Defense observed in its annual report on the Chinese military that the HQ-19 might “fill the midtier of China’s BMD network.”

“The HQ-19 is still undergoing PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force]-organized testing; as of May 2016, China was focused mainly on testing the HQ-19’s capability to intercept 3,000 km ranged ballistic missiles,” the report noted.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/revealed-the-details-of-chinas-latest-hit-to-kill-interceptor-test/

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

The Diplomat is anti-China as usual.

BTW, they are making more excuses for the US anti-missile failure as its dummy missile AKA the PGM-17 being more challenging the DF-21 used by China.

Although being an IRBM, the PGM-17 has longer range than a MRBM like the DF-21, but it only presents the 1950-1960s technology, it cannot compare to a modern ballistic missile like the DF-21.

@Martian2 what do you think about that?

 

[Martian2]

China shot down a REAL DF-21 MRBM. US failed to shoot down a MOCK target missile.

Objectively, I think any reasonable person would say China's current anti-ballistic missile technology is more impressive than the United States.

China used a DN-3 GBI (ground based interceptor) to SUCCESSFULLY shoot down a DF-21 missile traveling at Mach 10.

The United States used an SM-3 interceptor and FAILED to shoot down a MOCK target missile that was pushed out the back of an aircraft.

Against a real-world missile, China has demonstrated it can shoot down an incoming Mach 10 ballistic missile in its mid-course phase.

Against a SIMULATED (ie. dummy) incoming target, the US SM-3 failed.
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Officials: US missile defense test failed in Hawaii | CNN (January 31, 2018)
"Washington (CNN) - The US conducted an unsuccessful missile defense test on Wednesday, as a missile launched from land failed to intercept an incoming target launched from an aircraft over Hawaii, according to several administration officials."

 

[siegecrossbow]

Washington Freebeacon has provided some pretty accurate news about the Chinese missile interceptor tests in the past. Don't know whether they have connections in the U.S. military.

http://freebeacon.com/

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

China shot down a REAL DF-21 MRBM. US failed to shoot down a MOCK target missile.

Objectively, I think any reasonable person would say China's current anti-ballistic missile technology is more impressive than the United States.

China used a DN-3 GBI (ground based interceptor) to SUCCESSFULLY shoot down a DF-21 missile traveling at Mach 10.

The United States used an SM-3 interceptor and FAILED to shoot down a MOCK target missile that was pushed out the back of an aircraft.

Against a real-world missile, China has demonstrated it can shoot down an incoming Mach 10 ballistic missile in its mid-course phase.

Against a SIMULATED (ie. dummy) incoming target, the US SM-3 failed.
----------

Officials: US missile defense test failed in Hawaii | CNN (January 31, 2018)
"Washington (CNN) - The US conducted an unsuccessful missile defense test on Wednesday, as a missile launched from land failed to intercept an incoming target launched from an aircraft over Hawaii, according to several administration officials."

The DF-3 is also designated to hit the GEO satellites, so theoretically do you think it can also intercept a DF-41?

Maybe the DF-41 is much more expensive than the DF-21, also much more scarce, hence the cheaper and more substantial DF-21 was used in the test.

 

[Martian2]

The DN-3 is also designated to hit the GEO satellites, so theoretically do you think it can also intercept a DF-41?

Maybe the DF-41 is much more expensive than the DF-21, also much more scarce, hence the cheaper and more substantial DF-21 was used in the test.

The standard is PROVE IT.

China has proved it can hit a Mach 10 DF-21 ballistic missile.

The US has shown it CANNOT hit a mock/simulated missile target pushed out the back of an airplane.

China will have to prove at some point in the future that it can hit a MACH 25 DF-41 ICBM. That will be really tough. If it happens, China would have set a new world record and accomplishment.

Can the DN-3 interceptor hit a DF-41 ICBM? Let's wait for China to prove it.
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The interesting quality about China is tenaciousness.

In 2007, China finally succeeded in its anti-satellite test. China had missed the previous three times. You have to love China's attitude. Keep trying until you succeed.

 

[Akasa]

China shot down a REAL DF-21 MRBM. US failed to shoot down a MOCK target missile.

Objectively, I think any reasonable person would say China's current anti-ballistic missile technology is more impressive than the United States.

China used a DN-3 GBI (ground based interceptor) to SUCCESSFULLY shoot down a DF-21 missile traveling at Mach 10.

The United States used an SM-3 interceptor and FAILED to shoot down a MOCK target missile that was pushed out the back of an aircraft.

Against a real-world missile, China has demonstrated it can shoot down an incoming Mach 10 ballistic missile in its mid-course phase.

Against a SIMULATED (ie. dummy) incoming target, the US SM-3 failed.
----------

Officials: US missile defense test failed in Hawaii | CNN (January 31, 2018)
"Washington (CNN) - The US conducted an unsuccessful missile defense test on Wednesday, as a missile launched from land failed to intercept an incoming target launched from an aircraft over Hawaii, according to several administration officials."

The United States successfully intercepted an ICBM-class target using its GBI (US equivalent of the Chinese DN-3) while the Chinese have yet to prove their capability to do the same. You are cherry-picking your analysis.