Chinese War Games Feature Hypersonic Attack On US Warships

(StraightNews.org) – A Chinese war game carries out simulated attacks on American warships. During the simulation, projectiles are launched from 750 miles away and hurled 120 miles in the air before bringing destruction down on the US Navy. The revelations came to light in a paper published in December by Liu Shichang, a scientist at a military-tied facility in Chengdu.

Addressing the assaults on US ships from a great height, Liu Shichang told the South China Morning Post, “Commanding height has always been a pivotal tactic in war since ancient times.” Liu went on to say that as warfare advances with technology, “commanding height” will be “fiercely contested” by world powers.

In the simulated war games, China’s hypersonic missiles are assisted by lower orbit satellites positioned above the US ships. Radar signals from the American vessels are picked up by the satellites and replicated, creating noise that disguises the location and trajectory of missiles heading toward the ships.

Further details of the war game include a context in which US vessels are approaching a disputed island in the South China Sea when they are attacked. Every US ship is destroyed in the story, some by missiles fired from as far distant as the Gobi Desert. Furthermore, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, considered unsinkable via attack by standard weapons, is completely destroyed.

The notion of the United States engaging in conflict with China in the South China Sea is not unthinkable, as the region is home to several disputed Chinese territory claims. The area includes Taiwan and the Philippines – both US allies. Last August, the Philippines accused China of blocking its vessels and attacking them with water cannons. US officials described the actions as “dangerous” and blamed the Chinese “maritime militia.”

Countries have jostled for control of South China Sea territories for centuries, but China has increased its claims in recent years. Some experts warn that many of these claims could spark regional conflict, which could, in turn, expand globally.