28 January 2010 ~ View Comments

Take China’s ASBM Potential Seriously

Journal Articles

Andrew Erickson, “Take China’s ASBM Potential Seriously,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Vol. 136, No. 2 (February 2010), p. 8.

If developed and deployed successfully, a Chinese antiship ballistic missile (ASBM) system of systems would be the world’s first capable of targeting a moving aircraft carrier strike group from long-range, land-based mobile launchers that could make defenses against it difficult and/or highly escalatory.

Some assume that because the engineering problem proved unsolvable for the Soviet Union in the 1970s, it must remain unsolvable for China in the 21st century. The Soviets’ failure to solve a similar problem using vacuum tube and early transistor technology illustrates the difficulty of successfully attacking a carrier with a ballistic missile, but is by no means predictive. China enjoys the latecomer’s advantage in employing technology, has mastered ballistic missile technology, and has better satellite capabilities now than the Soviet Union had then. …

  • http://www.andrewerickson.com/2010/04/china-testing-anti-ship-ballistic-missile-asbm/ China Testing Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM)–Now Updated With Additional Sources | Andrew S. Erickson

    [...] This much is clear: with the DF-21D ASBM, the Chinese appear to be intent on fielding a system that … [...]

  • http://www.defence.pk/forums/china-defence/54955-chinas-blitzkrieg-u-s-carrier.html#post806833 China’s Blitzkrieg on U.S. Carrier – Pakistan Defence Forum

    [...] [...]

  • http://www.andrewerickson.com/2010/06/chinese-asbm-development-latest-analysis-sources/ Chinese ASBM Development–Latest Analysis & Sources | Andrew S. Erickson

    [...] This much is clear: with the DF-21D ASBM, China appears to be intent on fielding a system that direc… [...]

  • Joseph Tan

    Don’t be too unduly worried. Even if China had a working ASBM, so what? Were China recklessly shoot those missiles against the American carriers? If China had worked tirelessly and systematically for the last 30 years to achieve what she is today and shall lead the America far and wide for the next 30 years – one wonder why the Chinese need to do this stupid game -

    However the ASBM do serve a certain purpose. Just as China want to prevent (but failed) and being raped by 10 foreign nations marching into Beijing about 100 years ago, being looted and stolen all the treasures and artifacts (currently found in many Western museums), lost millions square km of real estates, killing many innocent Chinese as well as burning the summer palace in Beijing(the Bible did mentioned these people as thieves – “…they came to steal, kill and destroy” – Gospel of John 10:10), So China is currently building a ASBM system to prevent the US from doing the same.

    To say it is a threat to American carriers is a bit far fetched. If American carriers did not came within the 2, 500 km radius, there is no possibility of them being hit.

    Even if the came within, it is the last thing China wants is to have a war with America. But a caveat – China do not tolerate (even with America) to interfere with the sovereignty integrity of China.

    The same I believe America will not tolerate another to her as well. (See what President J F Kennedy warning to President Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis)

  • http://www.andrewerickson.com/2012/01/paradox-of-power-sino-american-strategic-restraint-in-an-age-of-vulnerability/ Paradox of Power: Sino-American Strategic Restraint in an Age of Vulnerability | Andrew S. Erickson

    [...] Andrew Erickson, “Take China’s ASBM Potential Seriously,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, 136. 2 (February 2010): 8. [...]

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