Thank you Bill Clinton!
China Testfires a New SLBM, landing on a desert a few thousand km away
Yomiuri Shimbun ^ | 06/17/05
/China Testfires a New SLBM, landing on a desert a few thousand km away
Yomiuri Shimbun 06/17/05
China testfired on June 16th a new submarine launched ballistic missile[SLBM], according to a (Japanese) government source.
Supposedly, it is Julang-2[JL-2], which is the modified version of Dongfeng-31[DF-31] intercontinental ballistic missile[ICBM] (estimated range:8,000km), which can be launched from a submarine. It was fired from a nuclear submarine under the sea next to Qingdao, and landed on a desert area a few thousand kilometers away.
There was also a confirmed launch of Chinese SLBM in 2001.
China now possesses 30 ICBM's, and is conducting research for (missiles) carrying multiple warheads, to counter American missile defense[MD]. In November 2004, their Han-class nuclear submarine circled around Guam, and invaded Japanese territorial waters. Their activities in the open sea have been increasing. If their SLBM development continues, China could have the entire U.S. territory within their (missiles') range. According to some opinion, the latest testfiring could be also aimed at dissuading U.S. from intervening into the crisis at Taiwan Strait.
Since China can field Dongfeng-31 missiles, U.S. estimates that, by 2015, 100 warheads could be targeted at U.S.. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during his speech in Singapore on June 4th, "China appears to improve the capability of missiles aiming at targets in Asia-Pacific region, and acquire the expanded capability to strike worldwide targets outside the region," showing great concern for Chinese ICBM development. |
