China's "Guam Killer" Revealed, All of THAAD and Aegis Can't Stop It
In the military parade rehearsal, China publicly unveiled the DF-26D ballistic missile for the first time.
This new model, nicknamed "Guam Killer" by the US military, not only has the capability to carry both nuclear and conventional warheads, but is also widely believed to be specifically designed to target American aircraft carriers and forward bases.
Its emergence coincides with a period of heightened tensions in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Western Pacific, and is seen as a significant leap in China's strategic deterrence system.
The missile has a range of over 5,000 kilometers, capable of accurately striking targets in the second island chain, including Guam. It is equipped with active radar terminal guidance and multiple electronic countermeasures, posing a substantial breakthrough pressure on the US missile defense systems such as THAAD and Aegis.
Compared to the earlier DF-26B, the technical focus of the DF-26D has clearly shifted towards anti-ship purposes, especially in terms of its deterrent power against the US aircraft carrier battle groups.
According to reports, this missile uses a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system, with a terminal flight speed exceeding 10 Mach. Combined with a high-precision terminal guidance system, it has the capability to strike high-speed moving maritime targets in real time.
China previously conducted test launches against a model of an American aircraft carrier in the western desert, demonstrating that the technology for the DF-26 series to strike aircraft carriers has reached a mature stage.
In terms of mobile deployment, the DF-26D still maintains the traditional road-mobile launch feature of the DF family, greatly enhancing its survivability and surprise strike capabilities.
Military experts generally believe that at this stage, the US anti-missile systems deployed in the Western Pacific, whether THAAD or Aegis, are unlikely to intercept such hypersonic re-entry missiles. Even with coordinated operations of multi-layered defense systems, the success rate remains low.
The strategic impact of the DF-26D goes beyond a single missile. It directly threatens the US Andersen Air Force Base and Apra Harbor naval facilities on Guam, which are the main concentration points for US military forces in relation to Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Furthermore, it further reduces the operational space for US aircraft carriers within the first island chain.
In addition, this strike platform with the ability to carry both nuclear and conventional warheads makes it difficult for adversaries to determine the nature of an attack.
In short, the release of the DF-26D marks another step up in China's anti-access/area denial system, and sends a clear message to the US - any military presence attempting to exert pressure near China must face real and uninterceptable costs.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841486780609672/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.