Copyright pravda
The Chinese plan to neutralize a U.S. aircraft carrier can be summed up in one word — DF-21D, analyst Isaac Zeitz wrote for the National Security Journal. DF-21D’s Reach and Purpose The solid-fuel ballistic missile DF-21D achieves speeds around Mach 10 and can strike targets at ranges between 1,500 and 2,000 kilometers. That reach lets it cover strategically vital maritime areas, including the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and parts of the Philippine Sea. “The missile carries a conventional high-explosive, fragmentation warhead—likely about 600 kilograms—designed to disable an aircraft carrier rather than sink it outright.” Direct hits can severely damage a carrier’s flight deck, radar arrays, or propulsion systems and render the ship inoperable for an extended period, Zeitz argues. Guidance, Speed and Operational Impact Modern guidance systems must support the DF-21D for it to score precision strikes. Intercepting the DF-21D proves difficult because of its hypersonic speed and a maneuverable reentry vehicle. The weapon therefore challenges traditional U.S. naval dominance and forces a rethink of deployment strategies and operational doctrine. As a result, American carrier strike groups may have to operate at greater standoff distances from contested coastlines. Russian Developments and the Wider Context In September 2023, TASS reported—citing a defense industry source—that Russia paused development of the hypersonically equipped ballistic missile known as Zmeevik to focus on modernizing existing missile families. The source said the Zmeevik resembled China’s DF-21D in its tactical and technical parameters and might serve, among other roles, to counter future U.S. hypersonic long-range weapons such as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), nicknamed Dark Eagle.
