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The first interception of intercontinental missiles by US warships could be a response to China’s “carrier killer” missile test in the South China Sea.
The United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said on November 17 that the destroyer USS John Finn launched an SM-3 Block IIA anti-aircraft projectile and struck a simulated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). ). Experts say the US test is a deterrent message sent to China and North Korea, as well as to reassure allies in the region.
“The SM-3 Block IIA bullet proof can be seen as a response to Beijing’s launch of two ballistic missiles dubbed ‘aircraft carrier killer’ in the South China Sea in August,” said military expert Zhou. Chenming in Beijing said.
Test firing of the SM-3 Block IIA missile on 11/16. Video: MDA.
On the morning of August 26, China launched a DF-26B missile from the northwestern province of Qinghai and a DF-21D missile from the country’s eastern Zhejiang province. A source close to the Chinese military said both rounds fell in the waters between the Chinese island of Hainan and the Paracel Islands of Vietnam.
Wang Xiangsui, a former Chinese Army colonel and now a professor at Beijing Aerospace University, later revealed that both bullets hit a moving target in the South China Sea. The information was released on November 14, just days before the United States launched the SM-3 Block IIA missile.
America’s air defense missile test could also send a warning message to North Korea, which has a nuclear and ballistic missile program that worries the United States. Pyongyang also launched a new high-resistance ICBM model based on the Hwasong-15 series on October 10, a 13,000-km-range ballistic missile that was tested by the country in 2017.
Experts believe that the test of the US SM-3 missile could become the reason for China to launch more ballistic missile launches this year.
“Washington took advantage of Beijing’s missile tests to increase its military presence in the Pacific, while the SM-3 interceptor projectile aimed to show that it had total dominance in Asia.” They want to show that Washington still has the power to protect its allies in the region, “Zhou added.
The SM-3 Block IIA missile test marks the first time that a US warship has launched a projectile to intercept a simulated ICBM target on the journey. Previous launches have used rockets in underground tunnels on US soil.
Military expert Song Average in Hong Kong said that the 0SM-3 Block IIA missile launched from US warships is not capable of intercepting Chinese DF-26B and DF-41 missiles because they are capable of changing beam trajectories. blinks on the way to the target.
“The SM-3 is struggling to deal with the DF-41, but it remains a threat to North Korean and Iranian ICBM models. However, the US test launch will prompt China to step up its efforts. of modernization. to improve the arsenal of ballistic missiles of the old generation, “Tong said.
The SM-3 missile leaves its launch pad on USS John Finn on November 16. Image: Us navy.
The SM-3 Block IIA is jointly developed by the United States and Japan to intercept medium and long-range ballistic missiles. It is in the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, which can be launched from warships equipped with the Aegis system or the base of operations of the Aegis Ashore complex.
SM-3 is an airborne interceptor missile that is responsible for destroying enemy ballistic missiles in the middle phase, when the target flies in space.
Upon reaching the correct height, SM-3 Block IIA launches a dynamic warhead to lower the target with the force of impact, rather than relying on explosive power like a conventional interceptor missile. The dynamic warhead is larger in size and maneuverability than the warhead on the older SM-3 Block IB missile. The Block IIA variant is equipped with a larger engine that increases the range, altitude and speed of the final phase.
The SM-3 Block IIA was originally designed to fill the gap between late-stage missile defense complexes like the Patriot and the THAAD.
However, the Pentagon aims to expand the ICBM interceptor capabilities of the SM-3 Block IIA. The Aegis BMD architecture allows the Aegis system to unleash a ballistic missile interceptor before it engages and moves at a faster speed.
Vu anh (According to the SCMP)
