Greg Grant, Defense Tech: “Chinese Media Calls for Carrier Killing Missile, Other Weapons”
Greg Grant, “Chinese Media Calls for Carrier Killing Missile, Other Weapons,” Defense Tech, 7 September 2010.
China not only must develop an anti-ship ballistic missile but it should develop a range of carrier killing weapons to protect the country’s strategic interests, says an editorial in China’s Global Times. The Naval War College’s Andrew Erickson writes that while the Global Times is not an official government mouthpiece, it is sponsored by and produced by the People’s Daily, which is the official communi[st] party paper. …
The editorial says China has no intention of changing the balance of power in the Western Pacific (which of course sounds like an official line), and is only trying to “enhance its national defensive strategy.” The editorial’s authors recognize that China is venturing into uncharted territory with a weapon classified as a “strategic deterrence,” and should carefully explore how to present its deterrence.”
That last bit most likely refers to what appropriate tests China should carry out with the ASBM, if they get the thing to work. I’m guessing the question is more of where, in what part of the Western Pacific, to demonstrate it; a touchy issue in and of itself. …
