Kyodo: China Testing SRBMs at Pace of 100 Per Year
October 19, 2005 :: Kyodo :: News
Japan’s Kyodo news service reports that beginning two years ago China has been testing short range ballistic missiles at a rate of about one hundred per year. The tests of missiles with ranges up to 600 km are said to take place from inland bases. The report comes in conjunction with the visit by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to the headquarters of the Second Artillery, which commands China’s ballistic missiles.
This news report is significant, but it leaves unclear the relation of such a number of tests to the number of missiles produced each year, and the number operationally deployed near Taiwan. The 2005 report by the Pentagon on the military capabilities of the People’s Republic of China noted that China is deploying an additional “75 to 125” short range missiles within range of Taiwan each year, and that the current number was estimated at between 650 and 730. Depending on how one interprets the relation between these reports, China could be producing some 175-225 short range missiles per year (around 100 to satisfy the testing replacement rate plus 75-125 to increase the number deployed). (Article, Link)
» Kyodo report through BBC Monitoring
» October 19, 2005: Washington Times on Rumsfeld visit
» 2005 Pentagon Report on Chinese Military Power
» More stories on: China, Taiwan, Testing - Foreign
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)
China to Develop 150km-range Missiles with Indonesia
August 5, 2005 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Indonesia’s Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono announced in Jakarta that Indonesia and China would work together to develop 150-km range missiles and rockets as part of a strategic partnership, reports the Indonesian Antara news agency. This transfer of missile technology was a part of cooperation agreements signed between the two countries in April, he said. A range of 150 km is relatively modest; such was the range of missiles in excess of which Iraq was (nominally) prohibited by the United Nations. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Proliferation
Classified Section of China Report Said to Specify Missile Capabilities
July 27, 2005 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
An alleged “classified section” of the Pentagon’s 2005 China report may provide greater detail on China’s missile capabilities. The Taiwanese Central News Agency cites an article posted on a website which monitors Chinese weaponry(www.zgjunshi.com) as saying that the classified version of the Pentagon’s recent report on the military power of China specifies that the communist nation has nine brigades armed with ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. Of these, three are armed with the road-mobile Dong Feng-31 (CSS-9), and the other six with the silo-based Dong Feng-5 (CSS-4). The website also claims that China’s 094 submarines, armed with strategic missiles, have undertaken sea trials and could become a less expensive way for China to deploy its ICBMs. The article’s claims are unconfirmed, and the Taipei-based Central News Agency notes that “It was unclear how reporters from the China-based website were able to gain access to secret Pentagon information.”
The claims reported by the Taiwanese news service may, however, simply be a case of the Chinese demonstrating that the classified section of the document is within their reach, or perhaps of China making a statement about the report’s findings by means of an article posted online. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China
» Missile details: CSS-4 (DF-5), CSS-9 (DF-31/DF-31A)
Tang on General Zhu’s Nuclear Threat
July 26, 2005 :: Analysis
Claremont Institute Fellow Ben Tang published an article in Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao responding to recent statements made by Chinese General Zhu Chenghu, who on July 14 asserted that China will use nuclear weapons against the U.S. if attacked during a confrontation over Taiwan.
Tang clarifies that General Zhu’s remarks reflect Beijing’s strategy against the U.S., and should not be written off as the “personal opinion” of one man. Tang speculates that Zhu’s speech was purposely arranged by Beijing, which has done similar things in the past. In this situation, Chinese Communist Party leaders most likely deployed a medium ranking official to state what they themselves could not say publicly. (Article, Link)
» July 15, 2005: The Washington Times: Chinese General Threatens Nuclear Use Against U.S.
» More stories on: Analysis, China
Chinese Response to DoD Report
July 21, 2005 :: Xinhua :: Analysis
On Wednesday, Wang Faen and Ban Wei of the Chinese news agency Xinhau responded to the Pentagon’s 2005 “Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China.” According to Wang and Ban, the U.S. “continues to wantonly create and play up the argument that China’s normal military development ‘poses a threat to the region and indeed to the United States,’ and again appears before the world with the features of Cold War mentality and power logic.” They claim that the real threat comes from the U.S., which has the highest military spending in the world; in contrast, China’s military spending is still at a relatively lower level. Wang and Ban also claim that the U.S. is “making a great fuss” about Taiwan “to help American arms manufacturers to expand their arms market and make more money, and at the same time to erect artificial obstacles to China’s reunification cause.” (Link)
» More stories on: China
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 (DF-3, DF-3A), CSS-3 (DF-4), CSS-4 (DF-5), CSS-4 (DF-5A), CSS-5 Mod 2 (DF-21A/B), CSS-5 (DF-21), CSS-9 (DF-31/DF-31A), CSS-NX-5/CSS-NX-4 (JL-2)
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Chinese General Threatens Nuclear Use Against U.S.
July 15, 2005 :: Washington Times :: News
China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. if attacked by Washington during a confrontation over Taiwan, a Chinese General reminded America in a recent press conference. Chinese General Zhu Chenghu is quoted as saying that, “If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons.” He added: “[We] will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
The comment comes just as the Pentagon’s annual report on the military power of China is due to be released. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
Russia Tests Missile for Sale to China
July 1, 2005 :: News
Russia is testing a new anti-ship missile for export to China, according to a report by The Epoch Times. The report states that flight testing is currently underway on a variant of the Raduga Kh-59M (NATO AS-18 Kazoo) anti-ship missile, which is well suited for attacks against U.S. carriers. Russia began testing the Kh-59M in 2004 using a SU-30MK2 aircraft, a model that is already exported to Beijing. Smith notes that the modified Kh-59M has been fitted with an active radar seeker, advanced guidance systems, and a special computer interface allowing it to use targeting data from the Su-30MK2 fighter. The Kh-59M is said to have a range of 288 km (186 miles). (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Russia, Testing - Foreign
China Quiet on SLBM Test Details
June 30, 2005 :: News
China is keeping quiet on its recent ship-launched ballistic missile test, reports the Press Trust of India. According to reports, the People’s Liberation Army Navy successfully test-fired its new JL-2 SLBM from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean on June 16. When asked to confirm the reports of the test, however, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao refused to comment, stating only that “China has made some efforts in the field of stepping up its national defense.” (Article, Link)
» June 22, 2005: The Washington Times: Bill Gertz on JL-2 launch
» More stories on: China, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: CSS-NX-5/CSS-NX-4 (JL-2)
