HIDDEN STRIKE
China feared to be hiding missiles in shipping containers for Trojan Horse-style plan to launch attack ANYWHERE in world
CHINA has been secretly developing Trojan Horse-style missiles hidden in shipping containers that can be unleashed on enemy ports, experts warn.
Military analysts believe the country’s huge fleet of freighters and fishing vessels could be turned into warships with the use of the secretive container missiles.
Disguised as a regular shipping containers, they can be sneaked on board a vessel to blend in seamlessly with the hundreds of others on board.
The sheer number of container ships in the world makes them harder to pinpoint than warships in the event of war.
Like the fabled Trojan Horse, the missiles would be quietly smuggled into or near an enemy port on a civilian vessel before being unleashed in a surprise attack.
Rick Fisher, senior fellow in Asian military affairs at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, told The Sun Online while Chinese have not officially confirmed they have the missiles - it is likely they have them.
And the it was warned in a study by Stockton Center for International Law that the weapons could violate naval laws.
Meanwhile, retired Navy Capt. Jim Fanell, a former Pacific Fleet intelligence chief, previously said a containerized anti-ship missile would add a significant threat to the US Navy.
It comes amid a new wave of tensions between the US and China as the Communist giant challenges Washington's status as the world's top superpower.
China is known to be aggressively developing its military and is squaring up to the US - expanding its reach around the world, such as in Africa.
A mock-up of the missiles first appeared at an arms fair in 2016 and since then there has been speculation since they may now be in service with China’s armed forces.
Mr Fisher believes the weapon fits with the Beijing's military strategy and likely would be used as an offensive capability against their enemies - potentially being smuggled into foreign ports anywhere in the world.
Mr Fisher told The Sun Online “Chinese strategic preferences for surprise would strongly argue for acquisition” of the missiles.
These would be fitted to “nondescript small Chinese ships in order to mount surprise missile raids against shore defences to assist follow on amphibious or airborne invasion forces”.
Fisher said shipping container missile launchers can be smuggled through ports or via highway ports of entry
They could then be stored for years in a climate-controlled building within range of US military bases, and taken out when needed for military operations.
Mr Fisher said the containerised missiles would “offer China's leadership a wide array of options”.
This includes “using larger container ships, thousands of fishing ships or stored containers in ports, to undertake military or terror mission strikes in a manner that can be denied if desired”.
“The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is fully capable of using containerized missiles to sow chaos when desired,” he insisted.
For example Chinese missile launching containers could be stored near the Port of Seattle.
The Chinese would wait for the day they can launch an electromagnetic pulse warhead-armed missiles over the nearby nuclear ballistic missile submarine base Fisher said.
"The EMP blast might take out electronics on the [submarines] and all over the base without having to launch a nuclear missile from China,” he said.
“Washington would be in chaos, would not know against whom to retaliate, and perhaps China uses American distraction to begin its real objective, the military conquest of Taiwan."
According to US officials, the weapons deployed in the containers are an advanced anti-ship missile called the YJ-18C, which is a version of the Russian Club-K weapon.
The missiles fit into a standard 8 feet wide by 8.5 feet high by 20 feet or 40 feet long standard shipping container.
An online animation showing how the Club-K can be fitted into a container shows how the top comes off to reveal the missile with the front making away for the guidance system.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the missile has speed of up to Mach 3 - three times the speed of sound or 2,300mph.
While not in the league of China’s hypersonic missiles, which can reach speeds of Mach 10, analysts believe they can still pack a punch.
So far the only record of missile being fired from a container ship is a picture of a test carried out by Israel.
A large number Chinese container ships enter US ports on the west and east coast making them well within range of the vast majority of the US fleet.
"If this capability is confirmed, it will require a completely new screening regime for all PRC flagged commercial ships bound for U.S. ports," Fanell said.
The Stockton Center's study concluded that loading weapons on civilian vessels clandestinely could violate international law.
It wrote: "Failure to comply with the law of armed conflict by surreptitiously incorporating merchant vessels into China’s warfighting/war-sustaining effort endangers civilian seafarers and puts all civilian ships at risk that may be operating in the area of hostilities."
POWER GAME
China is perceived as directly challenging the West for status as the world attempts to recover from the pandemic.
Beijing is making moves to establish a foothold in the Atlantic Ocean with a new series of naval bases on the west coast of Africa.
The country's first overseas naval base was built years ago in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and it is steadily increasing its capacity.
And for some time, many have thought that China was working to establish a naval base in Tanzania, a country on Africa's eastern coast that has a strong, long-standing military relationship with Beijing.
Meanwhile, China is also seen to have taken the lead in the next stage of the global arms race as it flew a nuke-capable missile around the world.
Hypersonic missiles are a game changer because unlike ballistic missiles, which fly into space before returning on steep trajectories, they zoom in on targets at lower altitudes.
China - followed closely by Russia - were already regarded as having the most potent hypersonic missile arsenals pouring billions into them but others had been seen as catching up.
But the shocking revelations of their missile test back in August has sent shockwaves through Western intelligence who fear they actually underestimated Beijing.
US intelligence and military officials were reportedly left stunned after China launched a rocket in space carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle which circled the globe before before speeding towards its target.
China debuts container-type missile launch system; weapon can ‘effectively improve defense capabilities of coastal countries’
The container-type sea defense combat system is exhibited at Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.
China's leading missile developer exhibited a container-type sea defense combat system at the ongoing Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, which could effectively improve the defense capabilities of coastal countries for its outstanding mobility and capability to disguise itself.
At the exhibition hall, the Global Times reporters saw an anti-ship missile launch system in the shape of a container with naval camouflage, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the country's largest manufacturer of cruise missiles. The container is about 13 meters long, 2.3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high.
The Global Times learned from the corporation that the missile launch system can integrate an operating station, a power station and missile launchers into the container.
A representative from the No.3 Research Institute under CASIC told the Global Times at the airshow that the missile launch system, no matter what platform it is mounted on, does not need an external power source. Its own power supply can fully meet the operational needs.
"The launch system can connect with various independent detection and command units such as early warning aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shore-based radars. It could receive target information from those external sources through encrypted data," he said.
According to the representative, based on the information from the detection unit, the command unit could formulate a combat plan automatically. The command unit then sends the instructions to the launch system. The detection unit and command unit can also provide operational information support for the launch system. After making some adjustments, the operators then confirm the plan and send the order to each station as well as the firing parameters to each launch unit.
"The launch system does not require a lot of personnel. It only takes four people to complete the whole launch process," the representative said.
The Global Times reporters noted that the launch system on display adopts a quadruple mounting method, which can simultaneously carry four YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missiles. In addition, the launch system can optionally be equipped with four YJ-18E anti-ship missiles, as well as other types of anti-ship missile weapon systems, reflecting its strong compatibility.
Various missiles developed by CASIC are on display at Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.
The above two types of anti-ship missiles are some of the star coastal defense missile weapon systems developed by CAISC on display at the air show.
Among them, the YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile can reach Mach 3 and has a range of 290 kilometers. Compared with the usual subsonic anti-ship missile, YJ-12E has an advanced flight speed and strong penetration ability, which makes it an effective weapon to break through hostile missile defense system.
Meanwhile, it has the advantages of high accuracy, outstanding damage output and low life cycle cost. It is mainly used to attack large and medium-sized surface vessels and high-value targets on the ground. This standoff weapon is highly disguisable, could operate actively and respond in a short time. It is a powerful weapon to achieve long-range, rapid and precise attack on high-value targets.
The YJ-18E anti-ship missile adopts a system of "subsonic cruise plus supersonic strike," taking into account the unique advantages of long range during subsonic flight and final supersonic attack. The missile can covertly strike large and medium-sized surface vessels and formations at a long distance, and at the same time has the ability to attack small ships and fixed targets on land.
The missile is designed for hidden attacks, can travel long distances, has high damage output and is easy to use. It has a maximum range of nearly 300 kilometers, leading the international market. Using advanced flight altitude control technology, it can fly close to the sea at ultra-low altitude, and choose the appropriate attack route and attack mode according to the specific battle scenario.
The terminal stage of the missile can effectively break through enemy defenses. The missile's seeker has a variety of guidance modes and is capable of precision strikes against multiple targets at sea and on land through modular retooling. A single hit can heavily damage or sink a typical ship target.
According to a CAISC representative, the container-type sea defense combat system can be mixed with the YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile and YJ-18E anti-ship missile or other types of anti-ship missile. However, to achieve the best strike effect, the most ideal way is to simultaneously deploy YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile and YJ-18E anti-ship missile.
"The container-type launch system can change its firing angle at will, or even launch the missile vertically," the representative said.
The Global Times learned from the corporation that the missile launch system can be loaded on heavy trucks, becoming a set of maneuverable shore-to-ship missile launching system. It can also be used in the upgrades of old warships.
"This weapon system, if deployed ashore, will effectively enhance a country's defense capability to safeguard its exclusive economic zone," the Global Times was told.
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