A while back I read a great Ward Nerd piece at the Exile, which is a hotbed of rather full on opinion and comment, but one that hits the mark more often than you might suspect.
The original article was about how the Chinese had come up with a missile that renders the whole US aircraft carrier notion redundant.
"The Chinese military has developed a ballistic missile, Dong Feng 21, specifically designed to kill US aircraft carriers: “Because the missile employs a complex guidance system, low radar signature and a maneuverability that makes its flight path unpredictable, the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased. It is estimated that the missile can travel at mach 10 and reach its maximum range of 2000km in less than 12 minutes.” That’s the US Naval Institute talking, remember. They’re understating the case when they say that, with speed, satellite guidance and maneuverability like that, “the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased.”
You know why that’s an understatement? Because of a short little sentence I found farther on in the article—and before you read that sentence, I want all you trusting Pentagon groupies to promise me that you’ll think hard about what it implies. Here’s the sentence: “Ships currently have no defense against a ballistic missile attack.”"
Now, I think that the War Nerd really has it right on a lot of this stuff. But it is interesting to see that this making to the mainstream press, with this piece on Bloomberg.
"The missile could turn this region into a “no-go zone” for U.S. carriers, said Andrew Krepinevich, president of the Center for Strategic and Budget Assessments in Washington"
So Americans need to expect problems if the Chinese decide to uhmmm.... reunite with the rogue province.
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