China's 'Carrier-Killer' Missiles: What Everyone Is Missing

[rangerrebew]

September 4, 2020

China's 'Carrier-Killer' Missiles: What Everyone Is Missing

Reports on the missile tests indicated that the DF-26 launch came out of Qinghai, deep in the backcountry of northwestern China. This is significant. It puts Washington and the region on notice that the PLA can target hostile shipping with rocket forces that are virtually invulnerable to counterattack. And, while important, that's just for starters.
by James Holmes

The “carrier killer” strikes again. This week the Pentagon released its latest annual report on Chinese military power, warning that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has accumulated “staggering amounts of new military hardware.” Among its new panoply are DF-21D and DF-26B medium-range ballistic missiles, each of which comes in a ship killing variant. The report estimates the firing range of the DF-21D at over 900 miles. Meanwhile, the DF-26 can reputedly target moving ships nearly 2,500 miles distant.

That’s a lot of sea space. All of Southeast Asia—and far beyond—now lies within missile reach.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/chinas-carrier-killer-missiles-what-everyone-missing-168423

[PeteS in CA]

Qinghai Province is a long way from the coast, so firing and controlling an anti-ship missile is impressive in terms of distance. OTOH, that's a lot of sensors-missile communications that can be disrupted, and a CBG could get considerable warning, i.e. lots of time to prepare a deep multilayered defense.