According to a number of ** reports by Huanqiu.com, the US Navy plans to equip its nuclear submarines with a new missile "Sea Tomahawk" next year to meet the challenges of the Chinese Navy. Unlike the previous Tomahawk missiles, which were used to strike at land targets, this Sea Tomahawk missile has been adjusted and improved, the point is that each submarine will be equipped with 12 missiles and in the form of separate launch cells, and not mixed with torpedoes, as before. As a result, American nuclear submarines will have stationary forward launch capabilities and form a standard underwater combat module. In addition, compared with the previous Tomahawk missile, this new missile has been improved in terms of performance and functionality.
The new "Sea Tomahawk" missile not only retains the ability to accurately strike at land targets, but also increases the ability to attack large and slow targets at sea, especially against enemy formations such as aircraft carriers. Considering the growing superiority of the Chinese Navy in large-tonnage ships, the total number is rapidly surpassing that of the United States, and the United States needs to take steps to contain the development of the Chinese Navy. Through a secret underwater launch, the new missile has a long-range attack capability with an attack radius of up to 1,600 kilometers, which can strike at Chinese maritime formations within the attack radius of carrier-based aircraft. In response to the challenge of the Chinese Navy, the United States has adopted a variety of maritime strike means, such as the AGM-158C maritime strike missile, and has jointly developed an advanced maritime strike missile with Northern Europe. The launch of the new "Sea Tomahawk" missile has further enhanced the US Navy's naval combat capability, marking that this missile has become an important part of the current submarine armament.
However, the United States is not very confident about the combat effectiveness of anti-ship missiles, otherwise it would not have reintroduced this easily intercepted hypersonic missile into the combat sequence. Although this missile has advanced characteristics such as network control and third-party strikes, there may be a big gap in its strike effect and capability compared with the United States' vision. In previous tests conducted by the United States, tests were conducted jointly with B-1B aircraft, which proved that the ship could launch missiles and then the B-1B took over and attacked the target. The United States is very concerned about the development of networking, intelligence, and integration of firepower and information in the development of advanced equipment, and is currently promoting this plan. Therefore, it can also be seen that the reason why the United States once again launched the Tomahawk missile may be that it is not satisfied with the performance of the previous extended-range version of the AGM-158 missile.
If each submarine is equipped with new Sea Tomahawk missiles, the United States may have two strategic goals. First of all, they hope to effectively control China's maritime formations with a 1,600-kilometer attack radius in order to suppress, destroy and even freeze China's naval strength. Second, using the concealment capability of submarines, the "Tomahawk" missile was launched off China's coastal waters to launch attacks on targets in Chinese mainland and carry out various strike operations, including first-line ports, second-line positions, and third-line positions. In conclusion, the United States pays special attention to the coastal zone of China, trying to turn each submarine into a ** depot in response to the intensification of great power competition.
Next year is the second year of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and if they take a substantial step from a military perspective to gain so-called "maritime superiority," it will play an important role in promoting the establishment of a powerful long-range strategic deterrence system around China. This move is also in line with the current trend of accelerating the development of great power competition.
As China's navy rises, the United States has been looking for ways to respond. The introduction of the new "Sea Tomahawk" missile has added an important element to the US Navy's submarine armament and improved its underwater combat capability. Given that China's superiority in large-tonnage combat ships continues to build and is surpassing U.S. levels, the U.S. needs to do more to contain the development of the Chinese Navy.
However, in the current situation, great power competition is escalating, not only between the United States and China, but also involving multiple countries with relevant interests. Therefore, it is not enough to rely only on the development of advanced equipment, but more importantly, to safeguard one's own interests and status through political, economic and diplomatic means. In this context, the Chinese Navy should also remain vigilant and take corresponding measures to safeguard its own interests and security. Only through peace, cooperation and development can we achieve long-term peace and stability and common prosperity in the region.