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Posted on 09/08/2001 12:14:18 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

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WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS
China practices sinking
U.S. carriers
Recent exercises had Beijing testing new anti-ship cruise missile

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By Jon Dougherty
© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

Chinese forces concentrated on attacking and sinking U.S. aircraft carriers using new anti-ship cruise missiles in recent military exercises designed to thwart expected American intervention in any conflict with Taiwan.

Weekly Internet-based intelligence digest Geostrategy-Direct.com reported the exercises, quoting U.S. intelligence officials who said they clearly show "that China is preparing for a future conflict with the United States, something U.S. government officials have been reluctant to acknowledge."

During the war games, which ended last month, Chinese forces also test-fired new anti-ship cruise missiles thought to be specifically designed to attack and sink the massive U.S. aircraft carriers that would be included in any force sent to protect Taiwan from Chinese invasion.

Official Chinese press accounts said the missiles "demonstrated that the People's Liberation Army is capable of destroying aircraft carrier battle groups," according to Geostrategy Direct.

Most of China's advanced weapons took part in the exercises, including Su-27 and J-8 aircraft, Sovremenny-class destroyers and Kilo submarines.

Meanwhile, the intelligence digest also reported that Russia is building a new cruise missile that is also plans to eventually export to China.

Moscow announced Aug. 23 that plans are moving ahead for an upgraded version of the X-22M cruise missile, which Russian officials have insisted is the only missile of its type in the world.

The X-22M is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile with a conventional warhead and active radar guidance system, the digest said. It will be able to destroy ships as well as fixed land targets.

"The missile has a range of about 250 miles, and Russian missile designers say the weapon cannot be countered by current anti-missile systems," said Geostrategy Direct.

The X-22M is also known as the Kh-22M, and its NATO designation is AS-4 Kitchen.

U.S. intelligence officials say Moscow will likely sell these missiles to replace the SSN-22 anti-ship missiles currently deployed on China’s two Sovremenny-class destroyers.

Related stories:

U.S. to target China with nukes

Next war in Iraq or Korea?

Russian military simulates nuke battle

U.S. inspectors to look for Russian nukes

Russia preparing Iraq for war?

For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.

The problem with the Chinese strategy is that it depends on Americans coming into the South China Sea like a bull in a china closet (so to speak). If you are the Americans, you counter this strategy by keeping your carriers around the Phillipines and Borneo. Make the Chicoms come to you. There are plenty of bases lying around that perimiter for our air force to use and we are developing a new kind of attack vessel nicknamed Streetfighter. Apparently this vessel will be lightly manned but heavily armed, like the old PT's, and will be able to go in and take out Chinese naval targets while allowing the carriers to hang back away from the Chinese coast.

The unspoken assumption is that like the PT's before them, they are expendable. However, if they start taking out Chicom surface combatants and transports, the Chinese might have no choice but to try to come out into the Marianas and fight it out with us. That's when we stomp 'em.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

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