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In November, Russia will deliver China's second Sovremenny class destroyer complete with SS-N-22 Moskit (NATO name "Sunburn") cruise missiles designed to sink U.S. aircraft carriers. Russia's AVN news agency says the ship is now on sea trials with a mixed Chinese and Russian crew. The Sunburn is comparable to Harpoon in range (65 NM) but can carry 200 Kton nucs as well as conventional warheads. The missile flies higher and faster than Harpoon, with a max high altitude speed of Mach 3, giving defenders a theoretical response time of 25-30 seconds, ASSUMING the missile is detected. The Washington Times reports Republicans have introduced a bill (H.R. 4022 visit house.gov for status) to block rescheduling or forgiving Russian debt to the U.S. unless the President certifies to Congress that the Russian Federation has permanently terminated transfers of Moskits that endanger U.S. security. According to the Times, recent Chinese military writings show China is "working on weapons to defeat U.S. carrier battle groups." The GAO has just released a report showing that "most Navy ships do not have adequate protection against cruise missiles." Our primary EW detection and jamming system, the SLQ-32 is 30 years old and the Navy does not have a replacement scheduled for 10-20 years. But by 2005, there will be 8 new classes of foreign missiles, including the 185 NM Russian Yakhont. Chinese Strategy: Win by Not
Fighting China has long been developing a two-pronged strategy to give it victory. Prong one is control of trade. Few realize it but most of the world's ocean-born commerce now travels in Chinese bottoms. Shipping is low-tech, and one of the first industries that developing nations move into. China has capitalized on this strength by gaining control of the most strategic choke point on the globe, the Panama Canal. China now is physically present and active in politics at both ends of the canal. The only piece missing in China's strategy is the ability to checkmate the power projection capability of Taiwan's only defender, the U.S. China does not need overwhelming naval superiority to accomplish this goal. All it needs is the ability to make using the U.S. Navy very expensive in terms of casualties. When China walks into Taiwan, it will be able to threaten a cut-off of ocean commerce and a high cost to potential defenders. Balanced against these costs will be China's promise of an uninterrupted flow of the electronic parts needed by every industry from computer makers to global finance. How We Got Here, How We Get
Out Last year, CS predicted the U.S.'s unjustified war against Serbia would escalate this process, and so it has. A U.S. missile defense shield - even an Aegis-cruiser based design - will do nothing to reduce the threat. The shield targets ballistic missiles, whose high trajectory and long time of flight allows them to be intercepted. Small radar cross-section, stealthy, supersonic cruise missiles are virtually impossible to defend against. Clearly, we must increase our force numbers, as well as improve our own detection and kill capabilities to meet the threat militarily. But a non-military strategy is likely to be more effective. Free trade with China will increase Chinese prosperity, but it will not change Chinese thinking to create freedom and a positive attitude toward the West unless large numbers of Chinese come to agree with the principles that form the basis of Western society, the Judeo-Christian ideas of the Bible. If you want to enhance U.S. and Taiwanese national security with respect to China, the best thing you can do is get involved with a Bibles for China project and support those brave folks who operate covertly inside China as missionaries. (Missionaries are illegal in China.) CS recommends contacting the following organizations to learn how you can get involved in missionary efforts to the Chinese. Don't miss this opportunity!
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