China sank a US cruiser in a new computer simulation while using ballistic missiles fired with grouping drones and regular warheads, underscoring the limitations of US marine defenses and the need for cost-effective missile defenses and kill-chain-disruption technologies.
A new study by the People’s Liberation Army that was published in the academic journal Command Control &, Simulation, revealed that China’s Fire Dragon 480 military ballistic missile may possibly drop a US Ticonderoga ship.
As for the Fire Dragon 480’s features, Janes reported in February 2023 that it has a variety of 360 km and a 480- gram weapon. The PHL- 16 Multiple Launch Rocket System ( MLRS ) can mount and launch two missiles from it.
Janes furthermore mentions that the program has been deployed with the Eastern Theater Command’s PLA 73rd Group Army, which deals with issues centered around the Taiwan Strait.
SCMP claims that the model involved 12 missiles slinging one of two Ticonderoga- school cruisers at once. According to the article, an average of six missiles may be needed to eliminate a large US warship.
In a different situation, SCMP points out that eight of the weapons had clustered helicopter weapons measuring six drones each. As the rockets approached the Ticonderoga ships, they released their helicopter payloads, reducing the ship’s firepower and giving more specific target coordinates for follow-up missile attacks. Any remaining drones that were redirected to attack other enemy ships were also mentioned in the post.
The simulation, in the opinion of SCMP, suggests that China’s PHL- 16 MLRS do need modern improvements to be entirely functional for the Fire Dragon 480 and drone swarming tactics. The US is eventually retiring its Ticonderoga-class ships, with the last one scheduled for decommissioning in 2027, according to the article.
US warship threats can be severely harmed by a mixed missile and drone attack because US warship defenses can only launch interceptor missiles with limited and expensive weapons and lack effective means of countering such an attack.
According to Asia Times, Foreign scientists developed a novel mono-rotor aircraft in March 2024 that could be divided into several smaller ones. Each smaller aircraft has the ability to perform various tasks. If weaponized, the uavs could be loaded in weapon grouping warheads to identify and eliminate targets separately.
This development in drone technology combines the capabilities of first-person view ( FPV ) drones with AI networking and autonomy, potentially making them formidable weapons.
Additionally, in January 2024, Asia Times reported on the US Navy’s light weapons programme losses, raising questions about how US ships did fare in a concentration helicopter and missile attack. Despite developments in solid-state laser technology, realistic problems like energy and space constraints prevent improvement on warships. The US Navy has deployed a dozen methods, but widespread deployment lacks a clear plan.
To successfully threaten US ship battlegroups and halt involvement in a Taiwan Strait conflict, China may require much more advanced weapons in addition to the Fire Dragon 480. The DF- 21 and DF- 26B intermediate-range nuclear missiles ( IRBM ) would be among those that are considered weapons.
The DF- 21D has a range of 500 to 2, 150 km and was tested against a ship destination in 2013, showcasing its increasing coastal hit features. China’s missile system remains a major focus for international security discussions, with estimates of around 80 atomic- tipped DF- 21 missiles and 50 to 200 nonnuclear variants in service.
The DF- 26B is an anti- ship version of China’s DF- 26 IRBM, capable of precise conventional and nuclear strikes up to 4, 000 kilometers away.
In terms of missile numbers, according to the US Department of Defense’s China Military Power Report 2023, China has 200 short- range ballistic missile ( SRBM ) launchers and 1, 000 missiles in that class, such as the Fire Dragon 480, 250 IRBM launchers, and 500 such missiles.
In May 2023, Asia Times reported that China simulated a hypersonic missile attack on the US supercarrier USS Gerald Ford and its escorts, sinking them. The simulation used 24 missiles in a three-wave attack, demonstrating how vulnerable US ships are to such weapons.
However, to effectively target US warships, China must collect target data, program and launch its missiles, and regularly practice and test the process. Moving warships must have effective homing sensors and guidance systems. If the US and its allies intervene in a Taiwan Strait conflict, defeating China’s missile kill chain is crucial.
Jim Mitre and Ylber Bajraktari make the point in an August 2023 Breaking Defense article that the main objective of China’s kill chain is to impede its ability to halt its attack. Mitre and Bajraktari suggest using low-cost, unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles to deceive China into identifying crucial targets. They claim that this tactic could cause Chinese forces to go to the wrong locations or force them to use advanced weapons on fictitious targets.
They add that a program that uses data from Chinese surveillance platforms could alert friendly units to potential surveillance and advise them to use decoys, camouflage, and other methods to conceal themselves. They point out that deception is essential for survival in contemporary warfare, as evidenced by the conflict in Ukraine.
Mitre and Bajraktari argue that the use of” smart” sea mines has the potential to be a strong defensive barrier. They claim that these mines can be repositioned to attack high-value targets or direct enemy ships to troubled areas. They point out that there are intelligent mines, but the tools to coordinate group movements and actions have not yet been developed.
Further, in a May 2024 Breaking Defense article, James Fairbanks emphasizes electronic warfare ( EW ) capabilities to defeat China’s missile kill chains.
Fairbanks insists that countermeasures must be adaptable enough to accommodate the enemy’s various methods and frequencies throughout the kill chain, from detecting a threat to intercepting it.
He claims that comprehensive countermeasures must break enemy kill chains across various attack stages and domains. This approach calls for encompassing the full range of threats, including their frequency, power, and waveforms, as well as continually improving electronic warfare systems and sensors with each new threat.
Fairbanks emphasizes that EW systems and sensors must be small, light, energy- efficient and cost- effective. They should also be compatible with open architecture for seamless integration with other systems and use advanced machine learning and AI algorithms to enhance performance and response time.