In the contested South China Sea, China’s simulation protection against a US stealth missile abuse exposes a high-stakes struggle for modern power pitting cunning against counter-stealth abilities.
This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP ) reported that Chinese scientists have simulated a surprise US attack on a People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ) carrier group in the South China Sea, revealing key details about the US military’s latest stealth anti-ship missile, the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile ( LRASM).
According to SCMP, the model, led by researcher Wang Tianxiao from the North China Institute of Computing Technology, aimed to improve the PLA’s measures and techniques. The US launched a massive assault using ten LRASMs, according to the article, which was conducted near the Pratas Islands.
These rockets, known for their radar cunning capabilities and almost 1, 000-kilometer selection, targeted a Chinese destroyer in the modeling. The PLA deployed electronic warfare disturbance, but the weapons switched to thermal imaging cameras, which effectively hit the target.
Potential military strategies, according to SCMP, could be significantly impacted by the simulation’s extraordinary realism and precise parameters. Nevertheless, the SCMP report points out that the information used in the modeling remains unclear, with the Chinese group claiming it came from open-source knowledge and long-term formation.
It adds that the US government classified the LRASM’s professional characteristics and functional methods, making the Taiwanese player’s claims difficult to verify separately.
The Foreign simulation’s choice to use covert cruise missiles may be a result of the benefits the latter has over the latter and the fact that the US has not yet developed any fast arms. In the short-term, using stealthy cruise missiles against Chinese targets is more likely to lead to a potential conflict in Taiwan.
In a September 2024 article, the Asia Times mentioned that hypersonic missiles and stealth cruise missiles like the LRASM offer a number of advantages.
Firstly, their low radar cross-section and low infrared signature make them difficult for enemy defenses to spot and intercept. Secondly, they reduce dependency on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ( ISR ) platforms, ensuring effectiveness in intense electromagnetic warfare environments.
Thirdly, their capability to coordinate attacks through data-sharing among multiple missiles provides swarm capabilities, allowing for coordinated, high-precision strikes.
In contrast, hypersonic missiles, despite their extreme speeds, create unique phenomena such as plasma wakes and chemical reactions, which could make them easier to detect. Additionally, advanced sensors can track the light’s distinctive plumes and wavelengths that they leave behind.
Despite the simulation’s results, China may have multiple options to defeat the stealthy US LRASM, such as directed-energy weapons, counter-stealth technology and” shooting the archer” – destroying the launch aircraft or ships before they come into range.
In contrast to conventional weapon and missile systems, laser weapons can hit with virtually unlimited ammunition in an affordable manner. They are particularly effective at fending off cruise missile and drone attacks.
China has made significant advances in laser weapon technology, as demonstrated by the upgrade of its Type 071 amphibious ship, Shiming Shan, with an advanced laser weapon system, according to Asia Times in August 2024.
The laser system, whose details are unknown, is anticipated to strengthen defenses against small boat swarms and unmanned aircraft, with potential dazzler capabilities for blind sensors and seekers.
However, laser weapons are still in their early stages of development, and they have limitations like limited range, decreased effectiveness, and increased sensitivity to atmospheric conditions.
China could intercept both the missile and its launch vehicle using advanced detection technologies in addition to the LRASM and next-generation aircraft, making it possible to use stealthy cruise missiles.
In November of this year, Asia Times reported that simulations from the PLA National Defense University and the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Game in Beijing demonstrated that China’s new counter-stealth radars could detect F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters from up to 180 kilometers.
The simulations, which modeled a US attack on Shanghai from Japan, highlighted vulnerabilities in the stealth shields of the F-22 and F-35, mainly when the F-35 operates in “beast mode”, making it detectable from 450 kilometers away. These findings come as F-22s are being deployed more frequently by the US in Japan, putting pressure on China to combat stealth threats.
A cost-effective radar technology system that uses signals from China’s BeiDou navigation satellite system to identify stealth aircraft is included in China’s investment in radar technology. This radar employs a unique algorithm to identify targets without emitting detectable signals, enhancing China’s anti-stealth capabilities.
Furthermore, Asia Times reported this month that China’s reveal of its new stealth aircraft, the J-36 and J-50, marks a significant leap in its military aviation capabilities.
The J-36, developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, features a tailless, delta-wing design to reduce radar signature and enhance stealth. Equipped with three engines, it emphasizes high-speed flight and long-range operations, making it suitable for air superiority and strike missions. The J-36’s design includes large weapon bays capable of carrying substantial payloads, indicating its role in air-to-air and air-to-surface combat.
On the other hand, the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s J-50 is a twin-engine stealth fighter designed for versatility in contested environments. Its cutting-edge air superiority and strike roles are matched by its advanced stealth technologies and avionics.
Furthermore, Asia Times mentioned in December 2024 that China could use hypersonic weapons from air, sea and land to attack US targets. The YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship missile, fired from its Type 055 cruisers, is a formidable weapon against US surface combatants such as Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
While China’s simulation of an LRASM attack ended in the destruction of a destroyer, the scenario may be based on a one-time incident that excludes a potential sea attrition war.
China is the world’s largest shipbuilder, producing three-quarters of global shipbuilding orders in 2024.  ,  , Thanks to military-civil fusion, China’s shipbuilding capacity also translates to naval power. China’s shipbuilding capacity has surged past that of the US, with the former’s shipbuilding capacity 232 times greater than the latter.
Furthermore, the US Department of Defense’s 2024 China Military Power Report states that the PLA Navy ( PLA-N) is numerically the world’s largest navy, with 370 ships and 140 major surface combatants.
With such formidable shipbuilding capacity, China can quickly construct new warships and repair damaged ones, guaranteeing numerical superiority over short-lived technological advantages, which has historically been the driving force behind naval combat.