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 it 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.
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