The U.S. military faces a very difficult challenge in the face of the anti-access denial system established by the PLA. According to the US media "1945", once a conflict occurs between China and the United States in the Taiwan Strait, the US military will have to face the threat of the PLA Rocket Force having at least 500 DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles to prevent the PLA from landing on Taiwan. However, forcibly breaking through the denial zone set by the PLA could lead to the destruction of the US ** team.
The DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile, which was first unveiled at the 2019 National Day 70th anniversary parade, is the world's first medium- and long-range anti-ship ballistic missile, and only China has mastered the military technology to use ballistic missiles to strike moving targets at sea. According to the performance evaluation of the DF-26, its maximum range is about 4000 4500 km, the ballistic speed can reach Mach 18, and the warhead weight is 12~1.5 tons, and even a nuclear warhead can be carried.
The American media "1945" pointed out that the Dongfeng-26 is completely different from the traditional anti-ship cruise missile in technology, it is a re-entry mobile ballistic missile, and a series of technical difficulties need to be overcome in the research and development process in order to have the ability to accurately hit moving targets, with a speed of Mach 18 and a huge warhead, Dongfeng-26 can achieve "one blow kill" on a supercarrier with a tonnage of more than 100,000 tons. For the US aircraft carrier strike group, intercepting the DF-26 is an almost impossible task.
It is worth noting that the highest-level anti-missile tests conducted by the US Navy's "Aegis" combat system are also limited to intercepting targets in near space with a speed of less than Mach 7, while the ballistic speed of the DF-26 can reach up to Mach 18, which is far beyond the reaction limit of the "Aegis" system and the Standard-3 Block IIA anti-aircraft missile.
In addition, if the PLA had installed a small nuclear warhead on the DF-26 warhead after the Sino-US war, a DF-26 could have destroyed a $100 billion carrier battle group in an instant. By contrast, China can build a ballistic missile for tens of millions of dollars. Therefore, no matter how much DF-26 is invested to attack the US ** team, as long as it can sink the aircraft carrier, then the initial investment is worth it. China's Dongfeng-26 missile caused panic in the US military, and "1945" said that the contradictions between China and the United States intensified.
The PLA is massively increasing its missile stockpile, and the Rocket Force is currently armed with at least 500 DF-26 ballistic missiles. According to the mathematical ideal model, the PLA only needs 24 DF-26s to completely block the escape route of the US aircraft carrier maintaining a speed of 30 knots, so 500 is enough to deal with the six aircraft carriers deployed in the Pacific Ocean. If the PLA intervenes to resolve China's Taiwan issue, the US military will face a dilemma.
Intervening in the situation in the Taiwan Strait would put the fleet at great risk of entering the strike range of the DF-26 – within the second island chain, which could weaken the US NavyIf the Taiwan Strait is abandoned, China will welcome Taiwan's return and break through the first island chain, making the US military's long-term blockade of the island chain fail. In addition to the troubles of the US ** team, the more than 300 military bases deployed by the US military around China are also facing serious threats, and even the ** base group is no exception.
* The base group is the largest naval and air force base group in the western Pacific Ocean, with a total area of 4,000 acres, stationed in the 13th Air Force of the United States Air Force, the 634th Air Mobile Support Detachment and the 5th Combat Support Squadron of the United States Navy, in addition to dozens of B-52H and B-1B strategic bombers. However, as a military stronghold located only 3,200 kilometers from China, the strategic value of the ** base group is weakening. The PLA's DF-26 can easily strike at this strategic location.
To prevent the PLA Rocket Force from destroying all military assets, the US military can only move ships and warplanes to bases further away in Australia or Hawaii, as far away from Chinese mainland as possible. From the research and development of the PLA's Dongfeng-26 anti-ship missile, it can be seen that China has cleverly adopted the idea of overtaking in corners in order to compete for the right to speak in the western Pacific. The dispute between China and the United States for the right to speak at sea is becoming increasingly fierce. The Chinese Rocket Force's anti-ship strike strategy provides a unique response to the disparity in naval power between China and the United States.
Instead of blindly chasing after the U.S. Navy, they have implemented denial deterrence with advanced anti-ship missile equipment, thus leaving a rift in the U.S. maritime hegemony system. The Chinese Rocket Force's anti-access saturation strike strategy has demonstrated a strong deterrent effect. As the technology of the PLA Rocket Force continues to upgrade, they will put into service longer-range anti-ship ballistic missiles, such as the DF-27 previously revealed by the Pentagon.
According to reports, the DF-27 may have a maximum range of a staggering 8,000 kilometers, enough to cover the mainland of China to the Hawaiian Islands and even Alaska in the United States. It can be said without a doubt that once the rocket forces are equipped with DF-27, the US military will lose any safe haven in the Pacific Ocean. With the help of a powerful rocket force, China will continue to expand its voice in the Pacific region and successfully break through the island chain blockade system set up by the United States.
With the support of the Rocket Forces, the PLA Navy was also able to seize the precious opportunity of strategic development and quickly close the gap with the US Navy. In order to realize the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, China must gain a place in the Pacific region. [References] 1"Dongfeng-26 Nuclear-Conventional Missile Squadron: A New Strategic Weapon with Both Nuclear and Conventional Weapons", China News Network. 2."Artifact of National Protection: What is the A2 AD Strategic System that the US Military Fears?".》