Chinese Version of Patriot Interceptor Said Undergoing Tests
March 29, 2006 :: News
China recently tested a new surface-to-air missile in northwest China, which is said to be similar in capacity to the American Patriot interceptor. South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo cites a recent bulletin from the People’s Liberation Army stating that the test involved the detection and downing of both a reconnaissance drone and an incoming ballistic missile by an interceptor “similar to the U.S. Patriot missile.” According to the Chinese launch commander, “This marks the official launch of the interceptor missile unit. We can intercept not only high-flying reconnaissance planes or missiles but also low-flying targets. Our accuracy is significantly high as well.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2), Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
Iran Parades Missiles
September 22, 2005 :: News
Iran conducted a military parade today to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the beginning of what Iran calls “holy defense” week. The parade took place conducted south of Tehran, near the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini. At his first military parade since taking office, President Mamhoud Ahmadinejad addressed dozens of top Revolutionary Guard officials, as well as generals in the regular army. (The Revolutionary Guard operates Iran’s ballistic missiles.)“Those who decide to misuse our nation’s honour and dignity and want to test what has been tested in the past, should know that the flames of the nation’s wrath are very hot and destructive,” said Ahmadinejad. The parade’s announcer repeatedly cried “God is Great!” when six Shahab-3 missiles went past the presidential viewing platform. The announcer said too, “If world arrogance wants to attack Iran … [it] will destroy their countries with these missiles.” Some of the missiles had banners saying, “Israel should be wiped off the map” and “We will trample America under our feet,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.” The banners and verbal attacks prompted a number of European military attaches, from France, Italy, Greece, and Poland, to leave the parade. One diplomat is quoted as saying, “there was a common position among the European Union members that, if the military parade included any slogans that attacked our allies, we would leave.”
The major media services report the display of the Shahab-3, but there were a number of others. According to a summary of the parade provided on live Iranian television (Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1) and translated via BBC Monitoring, the missiles displayed included:
- Shahab-3, 2,000km range
- Zelzal 1 and Zelzal 2, range 150-400
- M-11 Variant/Tondar-68, purchased from China, range 400km
- Nazeat
- “M-6”(see below)
- HQ-2 air-/missile-defense system, purchased from China
The reference to an “M-6” missile may well be a typographical error. It more likely refers to the M-9 variant, which Iran purchased from China. The term “Nazeat,” however, has been used to describe a primitive 150km range missile.
- M-9 missile, range 600km, purchased from China
Summary of parade provided by Iranian television: (More »»»)
» AFP Summary of parade
» Iranian TV account of parade, via BBC Monitoring
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Iran, Proliferation
» Missile details: M-9 variant, M-11 variant, Shahab-6, Zelzal-1/2/3
» Missile system details for: Hongqi-2 (HQ-2)
Pentagon Releases Report on Chinese Military Power
July 20, 2005 :: Department of Defense :: News
The Pentagon has released its annual report to Congress on Chinese military power, which describes China at “a strategic crossroads.” The 45-page report covers a host of topics, including Chinese military strategy and doctrine, the effects of military modernization, and an assessment of the security situation in the Taiwan Strait. “Questions remain about the basic choices China’s leaders will make as China’s power and influence grow, particularly its military power.” Of particular note is attention to such themes as China’s defense spending, strategic missile forces, the increasing number of short range missiles deployed near Taiwan, space policy, and the threat posed by a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse. (More »»»)
» NY Times: China’s Military Geared to Deterring Taiwan, Report Says
» Text of 2004 DOD Report on Chinese Military Power
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Space-Based Systems
» Missile details: CSS-2, CSS-2A, CSS-3, CSS-4, CSS-4A, CSS-5 Mod 2, CSS-5, CSS-9 (DF-31), CSS-NX-5 (JL-2)
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Chinese Missile Defenses in Response to Taiwan
January 26, 2005 :: East Asia Intel :: News
As Taiwan begins to deploy some limited missile capabilities in hopes to deter China’s massive short range ballistic missile threat, China is pursuing short-range ballistic missile defenses to negate the Taiwanese response and retain strategic superiority. East-Asia-Intel.com cites a U.S. intelligence official as commenting on Chinese missile defenses. As the report notes, these missile defense systems are based in part on Russian versions which the Chinese continue to purchase, including the S-300V and S-300PMU, which the Chinese test, probably deploy, and reverse-engineer to develop their HQ- series of missiles. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Chinese Missile Defenses, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: Hongqi-9 (HQ-9), Hongqi-10 (HQ-10), Hongqi-15 (HQ-15), S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant)
China to Purchase Additional S-300 Interceptors
October 13, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
China is proceeding with the planned purchase of 4-8 battalions of S-300 systems from Russia, reports Jane’s. The S-300 (SA-10/20) purchase confirms an earlier report noted here over a month ago. It is unclear whether the purchase would be the S-300PMU1 or the more advanced S-300PMU2, which has a longer range missile and better radar. (Link)
» Aug. 12: Russia ships China four S-300PMU1 systems
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
China to Purchase up to Eight Additional S-300 Air and Missile Defense Batteries
August 26, 2004 :: News
Russia and China are expected to sign another arms deal later this year, by which China will purchase an additional four to eight S-300PMU air and missile defenses to China. The deal is worth between 450 and 900 million dollars—the more advanced S-300PMUs, known in the West as the SA-10, reportedly sell for over 100 million per battery. The S-300P has both air and missile defense capabilities.
The contract is said to have been initialed by Russia’s arms export company, Rosoboronexport, and the S-300 PMU will be built by the Almaz-Antey company. Russia previously sold eight S-300 systems to China in 1993. An additional four batteries from a 2002 contract were delivered earlier this year.
The Saint Petersburg Times and the Moscow Vedomosti news service cite Russian experts who suggest that the interceptors may be used to defend the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, reasoning that the previously sold batteries would probably provide insufficient coverage, and others which suggest that the sale could indicate that China’s development of its own reverse-engineered system, the HQ-9 and similar systems, has not yet reached adequate readiness. Given the many strategic targets China would like to protect, however, this is not necessarily the case. China’s “redundant” acquisition and development programs are also well known.
Both newspapers also noted that defense sources were very tight lipped about the sale because of an agreement which makes arms sales between Russia and China classified information. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Chinese Missile Defenses, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: Hongqi-9 (HQ-9), S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Russia Ships S-300P Missiles to China
August 12, 2004 :: Geostrategy-Direct :: News
Russia shipped four batteries of its advanced air and missile defense system, the S-300PMU1, to neighboring China earlier on August 5, notes Geostrategy-direct, citing an Interfax press report. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
China Tests S-300 Missile Defense Interceptor
July 7, 2004 :: East Asia Intel :: News
China recently tested an interceptor for its S-300P (SA-10 “Grumble”) air and missile defense system, notes the PLA Daily. A number of the S-300 systems, perhaps as many as 120, were sold to China by Russia, but China is also developing its own versions, the HQ-10 or HQ-15, as well as more advanced missile interceptors which incorporate technology acquired from the American Patriot system, the HQ-9 and the FT-2000. (Article, Link)
» PLA Daily description of test
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Study on China’s Stance Toward U.S. BMD, China’s Own Missile Defenses
March 4, 2004 :: Analysis
A study prepared by the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) for the Defense Intelligence Agency outlines both China’s likely response and attitudes toward U.S. ballistic missile defense, and China’s own missile defense efforts and systems.
The study, dated September 2003, divides the treatment of China’s strategic position towards missile defenses into 5 periods, beginning in 1955 and ending with 2002.
The outline of Chinese strategic doctrine from that of the Mao years, when nuclear weapons were regarded as just another weapon, through China’s very reluctant acceptance of something like mutually assured destruction, shows a policy which has not followed the same track as that of the United States in its nuclear thinking. Unlike Russia and domestic left-wing opponents, for example, China apparently may have considered Reagan’s SDI as potentially stabilizing.
Most interesting, however, is the (admittedly little) light shed on China’s own ballistic missile programs, which around 1964, when Chairman Mao ordered a long term BMD research. According to various sources cited, the program included a team of 8-10 scientists, a cost of some $100 million dollars, is described as having paralleled U.S. and Soviet research during the period, until Deng Xiaping allegedly cancelled the program in 1983. Another source cited, however, claims that there was a Program 640 which set out to field a viable defense which included “a kinetic kill vehicle, a high powered laser, space early warning, and target discrimination system components.” The study also notes that Secretary McNamara apparently hinted at such Chinese BMD developments in 1966. There is also evidence that China was weighing both a land-based defense and a space based defense in the 1980s. The study notes the plausibility of Chinese missile defenses patterned after Soviet and (previous) American interceptors which were nuclear-tipped, but hastily steps back to say that there is no evidence for this “in the literature surveyed for this essay.”
The study describes an “acceleration and expansion of China’s own efforts to build a missile defense system” during the 1990s. In addition to some 100 or more SA-300 air and missile defense interceptors acquired from Russia, China apparently also began work on the “Patriot-like” HQ-9 interceptor, and another with an extended range based on America’s more advanced PAC-3. One factor pushing this acceleration was concern for the need to defend the Three Gorges Dam—where China is believed to have such missile defenses currently deployed. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Proliferation
