Big Sticks: China’s and America’s Global Strike Weapons
Steve Weintz, “Big Sticks: China’s and America’s Global Strike Weapons,” War is Boring, 6 March 2012.
…Today the … United States and China are developing special new conventional missiles, both intermediate- and long-range.
Both Chinese and American approaches change the flight path of the missiles from a purely ballistic trajectory to one where ballistic flight quickly gives way to aerodynamic flight, as much to signal a non-ballistic intent as to postpone detection. … China currently appears closer to the current goal than the U.S.….
China sees such weapons as an “offensive defense“ to protect its core and periphery. …
For full-length versions of the posts cited here, see:
Andrew S. Erickson, “China’s Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) Reaches Equivalent of ‘Initial Operational Capability’ (IOC)—Where It’s Going and What it Means,” China Analysis from Original Sources, 12 July 2011.
Andrew S. Erickson, “Important Article Posted on PRC Ministry of National Defense Website: ‘PLA should foster offensive defense thinking in developing long-range strike weapons’,” China Analysis from Original Sources, 13 January 2012.
