On September 21, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted a successful live-fire test of a new precision guided missile. CASC did not provide a specific designation for the missile. The missile was reportedly fired from the Caihong-5 (CH-5, or Rainbow 5) medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The missile was fitted with...
On August 24, China test fired a Dong Feng 4 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The test was carried out from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in China’s Shanxi province. The launch took place as Chinese and Indian forces remain in a standoff near Doklam, a disputed territory between Bhutan and China in the Himalayas. The...
On July 30, Chinese president Xi Jinping presided over a large military parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). China unveiled its new DF-31AG ICBM. The DF-31AG is an upgrade to the DF-31A missile that was introduced in 2009. The DF-31AG was mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, demonstrating...
On June 28, China launched its new domestically produced Type 055 guided missile destroyer. The Chinese media reported that the 10,000 ton vessel features new air defense, antimissile, antiship, and antisubmarine weapons. The ship includes 100 vertical launch tubes and is approximately the size of similar Japanese, South Korean, and U.S. guided missile destroyers. It...
On June 7, South Korean president Moon Jae-in suspended further deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to South Korea. The move comes after revelations the South Korean Ministry of Defense failed to report to President Moon’s government the deployment of four additional THAAD launchers to the country beyond the two...
On May 27, the state-owned China Daily reported that China had developed a “new type of ultrafast anti-missile interceptor.” China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC), the country’s major developer of air defense systems, was in charge of the project. Although CASIC did not provide specifics on the interceptors’ capabilities, experts said the descriptions indicate its...
Missile threats facing both the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific are increasing in complexity, number, and source. In response, the Trump administration is using missile defenses to boost military capability and signal resolve, as indicated by the deployment of THAAD to South Korea...
On May 10, China’s Ministry of Defense announced that it successfully tested a new type of missile on the Bohai Coast between China and the Korean Peninsula. Although the exact type of missile tested is unconfirmed, analysts suspect that the missile was a variant of the DF-26, an intermediate-range ballistic missile. The test comes after the...
On March 14, 2017, the United States, South Korea, and Japan began two days of drills in the Sea of Japan in order to better respond to a potential ballistic missile attack. The drills involve the guided-missile destroyers USS Curtis Wilber (DDG-54), ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991), and JDS Kirishima (DDG-174), three Aegis-equipped ships two...
On February 22, report indicated that China is close to finishing nearly two dozen structures that are suspected to house long-range surface-to-air missiles on its artificial islands in the South China Sea. Analysts detected the building of these structures with retractable roofs, coupled with military length air-strips on the islands of Subi, Michief, and Fiery Cross...
