One dark early morning in 2012 or
2013. 3:30 AM (EST) ...Is this what Americans will suddenly see on their television screens -- frantic reporters and anchor people hastily preparing to inform the viewing public that the unthinkable has happened?BREAKING NEWS: THE LAUNCHING OF TWENTY LAND-BASED CHINESE CSS-4 LONG-RANGE MISSILES, EACH ARMED WITH TWELVE FIVE-MEGATON NUCLEAR WARHEADS, HAS BEEN DETECTED BY NORAD. DESTINATION: THE UNITED STATES MAINLAND. SPECIFIC CITIES TARGETED: UNKNOWN. IN ADDITION, AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE NUCLEAR SUBMARINES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN HAVE BEEN SPOTTED NINETY MILES OFF THE COAST OF NEW YORK CITY. US SUBMARINES ARE PREPARING TO ENGAGE ... |
Very soon, due to a recent change in the strategic balance and recent international developments, the above nightmare scenerio may take place.
RED ALERTS
This space will be reserved for any future red alerts.
The earliest foundation of the worsening crisis between China and the United States began nearly ten years ago on March 18, 2000, with the election of pro-independence candidate Cheng Shui-bian. Although Beijing announced that it would take a "wait and see" attitude, it has since been made abundantly clear that the rulers of this communist military dictatorship will settle for nothing less than re-unification between Taiwan and China -- at any price.
This alone would tend to make armed conflict between the two great nuclear powers of the Pacific seem to be INEVITABLE. The infamous "white paper" released in February 2000 irrevocably re-defined cross-Straits policy. Linkage was made regarding the United States of America: if Washington defended Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, nuclear missiles would be fired against the US mainland. Both President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao continue the policies of former president Jiang Zemin who placed his reputation and "honour" on the line by promising this form of military action if the island pursues independence.
Here is the initial news report of the "white paper":
'WHITE PAPER' WAR POLICY
(Reuters and AP)
February 21, 2000
China will be forced to use "drastic measures, including military force" if Taiwan indefinitely delays negotiations aimed at reuniting with the mainland, declared a policy "white paper" issued by the State Council, China's cabinet. NBC's Eric Baculinao reported from Beijing that the policy represented a dramatic lowering of the threshold for armed conflict across the Taiwan Strait, which also means raising the risk of a confrontation or war between the United States and China. The new policy also represents a stunning and dangerous revision of China's long-standing preconditions for initiating military attacks on Taiwan. Previously, China's position was to resort to force only in the event of foreign intervention or outright declaration of independence by Taiwan. Taiwan's continued refusal to talk is now also a cause of possible military action.
Underscoring the threat of force, the Hong Kong media, which is widely followed in Taiwan, reported over the weekend that Chinese President Jiang Zemin was in southern China touring military bases that would contribute to any invasion force of the island. The tactics ominously echoed Taiwan's last presidential election four years ago. Then, China tested missiles near the island to dampen independence sentiment, and the United States sent in warships to bolster Taiwan, once a close Cold War ally, raising tensions in the area to their highest in more than 30 years. Beijing's policy paper included a warning to the United States, calling on Washington to scale back arms sales to Taiwan and "not to stand in the way of the reunification of China." Taiwan bought 150 F-16 jet fighters from the United States and 60 Mirage fighters from France in the 1990s, enraging Beijing. China has warned the United States against including Taiwan in a proposed Theater Missile Defense system.
The following report from The Telegraph dated July 16, 2005, also leaves no doubt that Beijing has the will and the means to carry out the unthinkable: a nuclear attack against the United States:
Chinese general threatens nuclear attack on US in war of words
By Richard Spencer in Beijing
The Telegraph12:01AM BST 16 Jul 2005
A Chinese general has threatened to launch nuclear missiles at the United States, warning that hundreds of American cities could be destroyed.
In an unusually forthright briefing to foreign journalists, General Zhu Chenghu speculated on what the response would be if the United States attacked China or its military in a war over Taiwan. "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," he said, making it clear he was speaking in a personal capacity. "We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."
The comments appear to contradict China's official policy, which, unlike the United States, rejects first use of nuclear weapons. But hardliners in the People's Liberation Army, such as General Zhu, are known to be pushing for a tough line over Taiwan, which China says it will one day reunify with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Chinese leaders can continue wearing their poker faces, but we now know what they have considered and that they are preparing for the unthinkable: nuclear war.
So the question one now must ask is: will these dire events take place? ... and if so, when?
A number of events have taken place in 2009 and especially in 2010 ... the year China initially selected in their 2000 "white paper" as the time for either negotiated or forced reunification with Taiwan, keeping in mind also that this could mean war with the United States if a military solution is deemed the only step available. As 2011 begins, it is clear China has been warning for the last year that an expiration date is fast approaching, not only for Taiwan, but for the South China Sea region in general.
Before continuing, we must understand that China uses its ally, North Korea, to help further its objectives. Thus, we have seen the provocative actions taken by the DPRK in March 2010 with the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel, The Cheonan; the alleged submarine attack in April 2010 on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico; and then again with the infamous artillery assault upon inhabited civilian portions of Yeonpyeong island in November 2010. But as each of these farces play out, China has been maneuvering for position all the while as global focus zeros in on its diminutive neighbour, its "little ally," North Korea.
The strategic balance has now changed and research and development are escalating.
In 2009, details emerged of a "kill weapon" developed by the Chinese to target and destroy US aircraft carriers. The Dong Feng 21 (DF-21 / CSS-5) anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) can strike carriers and other US vessels at a range of 2000km. The size of the missile enables it to carry a warhead big enough to inflict significant damage on a large vessel, providing the Chinese the capability of destroying a US supercarrier in one strike. It is estimated that the missile can travel at mach 10 and reach its maximum range of 2000km in less than 12 minutes.
This missile has now been deployed as of December 26, 2010.
Two views of the Dong Feng 21 (DF-21 / CSS-5) anti-ship ballistic missile
In 2009 the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) concluded that China had 180 active nuclear weapons with a total of 240 warheads. The Pentagon has estimated that China has been increasing its nuclear warheads at the rate of 25% since 2006. Some experts put the figure at 400 nuclear warheads but this appears to be incorrect according to the FAS expert Hans M Kristensen. While there is no agreement about the actual number of nuclear warheads, all experts agree that China has significantly enhanced its nuclear stockpile and continues to make assiduous efforts in this direction.
The DF-4 "Chingyu" is China's first two-stage ballistic missile, with 5,550-7,000 km range and 2,200 kg payload (3 MT nuclear warhead). It was developed in the late 1960s to provide strike capability against Moscow and Guam. The DF-4 missile also served as the basis for China's first space launch vehicle, Chang Zeng 1 (Long March 1). Approx. 20 DF-4's remain in service, and are scheduled to be replaced by DF-31 by 2015.
Source: Wikipedia
Deployment: Silo
Range (km): 13,000
Re-entry Vehicle Mass (kg): 3,000 - 3,200
Warhead Yield: 3 MT
Launch Preparation Time: 30-60 minutes
When the DF-5 (CSS-4) was first tested in September 1971, it had a range of 10,000 to 12,000 kms which allowed it to threaten the western portions of the United States. Beginning in 1983 the Chinese inaugurated the improved DF-5A, with an increase of over 13,000 km and a more accurate guidance system. The DF-5A upgrade increased the throw-weight of the system from 3,000 kg to 3,200 kg. As with the DF-4, initially the DF-5 was stored in a horizontal position in tunnels under high mountains, and are launched immediately outside the mouth of the tunnel. The missiles must be moved into the open and fueled prior to firing, an operational mode dubbed chu men fang pao (shooting a firecracker outside the front door), with the fueling operation apparently requiring about two hours. The initial deployment of a pair of DF-5s in silos in Central China was completed in 1981. That portion of the DF-5A force that is deployed in silos could be maintained in a ready-to-fire status.
For many years almost all sources credited China as having only four DF-5s deployed in silos, including the authoritative 1992 treatment by John Wilson Lewis and Hua Di, which asserted that as of 1992 only four DF-5 missiles were on alert. However, more recent estimates suggest that some 8 to 11 were deployed as of 1995, and that at least 13 missiles were deployed at the end of 1997. According to the National Air Intelligence Center, as of 1998 the deployed DF-5 force consisted of "fewer than 25" missiles. As of early 1999 the total deployed DF-5 force was generally estimated at about 20 missiles. In order to enhance the survivability of these missiles, China constructed a large number of decoy silos which consist of shallow holes excavations with headworks that resemble operational silos.
In November 1983 China inaugurated a DF-5
modification program to arm these ICBMs with MIRVed warheads.
Technical difficulties, however, stalled the program. The DF-5A,
able to strike targets in the continental United States (CONUS),
was the designated recipient of the MIRVs, although there is no
evidence that they have been deployed. Some sources claim that at
least four DF-5As have already been MIRVed, though it is
generally asserted that while MIRVing may occur within the next
few years no DF-5As have yet been fitted with MIRVed warheads.
Currently, an estimated 24-36 DF-5A's are in service as China's primary ICBM force. Each one is designed to carry a 3 megaton (MT) nuclear warhead. Based on the DF-5A throwweight and warhead shroud the missile could be equipped with six reentry vehicles with each RV weighing 600 kgs (the size of the single warhead on the DF-21). The DF-5A second stage apparently has four vernier engines which reportedly fire for 190 seconds after the main missile engine cuts off. Thus the DF-5A could direct a warhead bus over a fairly large arc covering an array of aim points. But the exact status of this program cannot be confirmed based on open sources.
In early February 2002 the Chinese launched its first Dongfeng-31 ICBM, which had a range of more than 5,000 miles. It was armed with twelve dummy warheads which successfully seperated during the missile's disintegration in the first half of its trajectory. Naval versions of the missiles have since been developed. There had been much talk as to whether China really had the ability to MIRV its missiles like the Russians. It has now accomplished this, ending any further speculation.
The Dong Feng 31 (CSS-9) is a long-range, road-mobile, three stage, solid propellant intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dongfeng missile series developed by the People's Republic of China. It is designed to carry a single 1,000kT thermal nuclear warhead. It is a land-based variant of the submarine launched JL-2 (see JuLang 2 below). It is operated by the Second Artillery Corps (SAC) which is estimated to have under 15 DF-31 missiles missiles in inventory.
The PRC has developed an improved variant of the DF-31 called the DF-31A. The DF-31A is believed to have incorporated many advanced technologies similar to current generation Russian ICBMs, including the use of penetration aids such as decoys or chaff and maneuverable reentry vehicles to complicate enemy's missile warning and defense system. This upgraded missile has a reported range of 11,200 km, which brings within its range any location in the continental United States. It also possesses the MIRV capability to hold 3 warheads each capable of a 20-150 kT yield. In 2009 US Air Force Intelligence reported that under 15 DF-31A missiles had been deployed.
Western analysts speculate that China is currently developing a next-generation ICBM, known as the DF-41, with a 15,000 km range. It is capable of MIRV delivery (up to 12), and can cover any position on the planet. The project started in the 1980s, and is now quite likely coupled with the JL-2 program (see JuLang 2 below).
Military experts had expected that it could be unveiled at the 2009 National Parade. However, rehearsals of the military parade so far have not featured this missile. It is anticipated that the DF-41 will be delivered to the Second Artillery around the year 2010.
All CSS-3, CSS-4, CSS-9 and CSS-41 info current as of January 2, 2011.
According to Defense News, China has the largest conventional submarine force in the world, totaling more than 60 boats to go along with an unspecified number of nuclear-powered fast attack and ballistic missile subs. In 2005, it was estimated that there were 52 submarines in the Chinese fleet from which some of its roughly one hundred medium-range missiles could be launched. A recent check has shown that there are now 66 to 70.
According to a US Defense Department report released on March 26, 2009, China's growing submarine fleet could begin to pose a threat to the United States navy. Two new SHANG-class (Type 093) nuclear-powered attack submarines and one JIN-class (Type 094) submarine, previously scheduled to enter service last year, are now operational. The JIN-class is of particular interest, as it will be the deployment vehicle for the JL-2 ballistic missile now in development.
These newer submarines will supplement China's four older HAN-class nuclear attack submarines and China's one XIA-class sub. The DoD estimates that China has 13 SONG-class (Type 039) diesel-electric attack submarines, designed to carry the YJ-82 (CH-SS-N-7) anti-ship cruise missile. The next generation attack submarine is the YUAN-class SS: one of these is already operational and another is undergoing sea trials. Judging from China's purchase of diesel engines from Germany, the report estimates that China plans to build up to 15 additional YUAN-class attack submarines.
China's guided-missile destroyers have been hardened and are being given anti-aircraft capabilities, including both Russian and indigenous surface to air missiles (SAMs). These include the Russian SA-N-20 long-range SAM and China's own medium-range HHQ-16, a vertically launched naval SAM under development.
Deployment: SLBM
(Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile)
Submarine Types: 092 Xia, 094 SSBN
Range (km): 7,000 - 8,000
Re-entry Vehicle Mass (kg): 700 kg
Warhead Yield: 3 or 4 MIRV @ 90 kT or 1 @ 250-1000 kT
The JuLang 2 (NATO
reporting name: CSS-NX-4) is the three-stage, solid-propellant
submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) under development
since the early 1990s to replace the first-generation JuLang 1 (CSS-N-3).
The missile is scheduled to be carried by the Type 094 (Jin class)
nuclear-powered missile submarine. The new JL-2 SLBMs will carry
either 3 or 4 MIRV (90 kT each) or a single warhead with a yield
of 250-1000 kT over a maximum range of 8,000km. The missile is
the sea-based variant of the DF-31 land-mobile long-range missile.
Development of these missiles was accelerated following the successful test of their common 2m-diameter solid rocket motor in late 1983. The missile is apparently comparable in size and performance to the American TRIDENT C-4 long-range multiple-warhead three-stage solid fuel missile missile that is launched from submerged submarines.
The 42 ton JL-2 has a range that would enable China to aim missiles at any target in the United States from a 094 class SSBN (ballistic missile carrying nuclear subs) cruising off Hawaii or Alaska. Each 094 boat will carry twelve of these missiles, which are naval versions of the existing land based 42 ton DF-31 ICBM. The JuLang 2 SLBM is an important step for China towards a credible sea-based nuclear retaliation capability.
The JL-2 was supposed to have entered service in 2008, but it is still failing test launches.
Then again, a few months after its last in a series of failed tests in summer 2010, what may well have been a JuLang-2 missile was seen launched off the coast of California in November. Investigative journalist Wayne Madsen reported:
China flexed its military muscle Monday evening in the skies west of Los Angeles when a Chinese Navy Jin class ballistic missile nuclear submarine, deployed secretly from its underground home base on the south coast of Hainan island, launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from international waters off the southern California coast. WMR’s intelligence sources in Asia, including Japan, say the belief by the military commands in Asia and the intelligence services is that the Chinese decided to demonstrate to the United States its capabilities on the eve of the G-20 Summit in Seoul and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Tokyo, where President Obama is scheduled to attend during his ten-day trip to Asia ...
Missile experts, including those from Jane’s (Janes Defence) in London, say the plume was definitely from a missile, possibly launched from a submarine. WMR has learned that the missile was likely a JL-2 ICBM, which has a range of 7,000 miles, and was fired in a northwesterly direction over the Pacific and away from U.S. territory from a Jin class submarine. The Jin class can carry up to twelve such missiles. Navy sources have revealed that the missile may have impacted on Chinese territory and that the National Security Agency (NSA) likely possesses intercepts of Chinese telemtry signals during the missile firing and subsequent testing operations ... Asian intelligence sources believe the submarine transited from its base on Hainan through South Pacific waters, where U.S. anti-submarine warfare detection capabilities are not as effective as they are in the northern and mid-Pacific, and then transited north to waters off of Los Angeles.
Mike Rivero of What REALLY Happened.com refuted the Madsen report a few weeks later with excerpts of a US naval firing operations schedule in the "Eastern North Pacific: California" and the following comments:
According to this official US Navy document the US Navy is indeed conducting live fire testing of missiles off the coast of California. This is a repeat of the situation with TWA 800 in which the US Navy at first denied knowing what missile it was that witnesses reported seeing only to have to admit to the ongoing tests of Aegis-CEC when the NOTAM surfaced days later.
Note how he attempts to refute one conspiracy theory by citing another conspiracy theory: that of the US government coverup of TWA 800 being shot down during a live test launch of an Aegis-CEC. The rest of his argument is what he thinks the Chinese would or would not do. Also, let us not forget that at the time of the sighting of the plume off Los Angeles, US officials were publically demonstrating visible perplexity and concern on various news media, including CNN and FOX, a few even speculating the same scenario put forth by Madsen later.
All CSS-NX-4 info current as of January 2, 2011.
Type 91 Xia class proto-type: HAN
The HAN class submarine is a nuclear powered torpedo attack boat. While this class boat greatly improved the Chinese Navy's distant defense capabilities against enemy nuclear equipped surface forces, one of its most significant features was that it served as a stepping stone in the development of a Chinese nuclear powered, submarine launched ballistic missile (SSBN) force. Such a force would enhance Beijing's assurance of an effective retaliatory capability, as well as strengthening her deterrent posture.
The PLA Navy operates five Type 091 (NATO codename: Han class) nuclear-powered attack submarines built by Huludao Shipyard in Liaoning Province between 1967 and 1990. The first boat (401) may have approached its service life and may no longer be operational. The four newer boats (402, 403, 404, and 405) received the modernisation refit in the 1980s/90s and are currently deployed by the PLA Navy North Sea Fleet based at Qingdao.
The YJ-82 missile can be launched from the submarine’s 533mm torpedo tubes. The missile uses active radar homing and is powered by a solid rocket engine (with a solid rocket booster). The anti-ship missile has a range of 42~80km and approaches the target in sea skimming mode at a speed of 0.9 Mach. The 165kg shaped charge warhead has time delayed impact proximity fuses.
Length: 120 m
Speed: 22 knots dive
Missiles: SLBM - 12 JL-2
Torpedoes: 6 - 533 mm bow tubes
In 1981, China launched the Xia-class SSBN #406, derived from the Han-class SSN, with the hull lengthened to accommodate the missile tubes. The Type-092 became operational in 1983, though missile firings conducted in 1984 and 1985 were unsatisfactory due to fire control problems which were not resolved until until 1988.
The Xia class SSBN was initially armed with 12 JL-1 (CSS-N-3) SLBMs. A major update of the class started in 1995 to fit the new JL-2 SLBM system. The upgrade was completed in 1998.
The JL-2 (CSS-NX-4) SLBMs are reported to carry 3 or 4 MIRV (90kT each) or a single 250kt warhead with a range of 8,000km.
Operations have been limited and the Xia has never sailed beyond Chinese regional waters. Despite a potential for operations in the Pacific Ocean, capabilities would be very limited against modern Western or Russian ASW capabilities.
The US Defense Intelligence Agency lists the Xia-Class as being "Not Operational." While its capability is still being questioned, Xia made its world wide debut on April 23rd, 2009 celebrating the 60th anniversary of PLA Navy's founding.
Missiles: LACM
Torpedoes: 6 - 533 mm bow tubes
The ONI new Type 93 SSN
is said to be similar to the Russian second generation designs
such as the Victor III. The launch of the initial unit of this
class from the Bohai Shipyard took place in 2002. As with the
Song SSK, the submarine incorporates a hydrodynamically efficient
hull form, a single shaft and a highly skewed 7-bladed propeller.
The Type 093 was expected to deploy submerged-launch anti-ship cruise missiles, possibly a follow-on to the C801s, as well as the project Land Attack Cruise Missile. Supposed Russian involvement in the programme has played an important role in the Type 093 project, which commenced construction in the late 1990s.
Exactly how much help the Chinese design team received from Rubin Design Bureau is unknown, but could have included assistance in some critical areas such as overall hull design, engine and machinery quieting, combat system design, and weapon system and countermeasures outfit.
This rumoured Russian-assisted new Type 093 design was speculated to have general performance comparable to that of Russian Victor-III class, SSNs originally introduced in the late 1970s by the Soviet navy, as well as early versions of the American Los Angeles class. Some have gone as far as saying it is comparable to early Akula class SSN's.
The U.S. Navy intelligence and Pentagon predicted that the PLA Navy would have around 3~4 Type 093 submarines by 2010, other sources suggested that eventual production could reach 6 to 8 units. The exact number to be built may well depend on the results of the ongoing sea trial for the first hull, which has been carried out at the PLA Navy’s Huludao submarine base since 2003.
Missiles:
SLBM - 16 JL-2
Torpedoes: 6 - 533 mm bow tubes
A new design (type 094) was produced and at least two were launched in July 2004. The Type 094 submarine is capable of carrying 12 of the more modern JL-2 SLBMs with a range of approximately 8,000 km, and is capable of targeting much of the Western Hemisphere, some of it from close to the Chinese coast. The Type 094 is believed by some western analysts to incorporate a great deal of Russian technology and will replace the Type 092 submarine (NATO reporting name: Xia class) for the People's Liberation Army Navy.
In its 2008 assessment of China's military, the United States Department of Defense estimated that one Type 094 "may soon enter service", and that "up to five" would be in service by 2010. It is a dramatic improvement over the sole Xia class SSBN, with improved quieting and sensor systems, and a more reliable propulsion system. Other improvements in sonar, propulsion, training, and the application of quieting techniques contribute to a significant improvement in the capabilities of China’s submarine fleet. There is unconfirmed speculation that as many as a dozen of these new boats may be eventually constructed.
When deployed, this missile will allow Chinese SSBNs to target portions of the United States for the first time from operating areas located near the Chinese coast. Equipped with the JL-2 missiles, the Type 094 SSBNs would only have to patrol just to the northeast of the Kuril Islands to hold about three-fourths of the United States at risk.
The Type 095 (Chinese designation: 09-IV) is a proposed class of third generation nuclear-powered attack submarines for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of the People's Republic of China.
Little is known about this class except that the initiation of its development may be in response to the rumoured poor performance of the Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine. It is anticipated that Type 095 submarines will have a substantially reduced acoustical signature, incorporating the latest Russian submarine technology, within a larger version of the Xia/Jin hull type. The Type 095's acoustical signature is estimated to be superior to Soviet-era Victor III (Project 671RTM) submarines but inferior to Akula I (Project 971) submarines initially introduced in the late 1980s. Additionally, it is also speculated that Type 095 submarines may be armed with long-range anti-ship HY-4 cruise missiles and act as a potential undersea escort for any future PLAN aircraft carrier task forces.
Source: Wikipedia
The Type 096 submarine is a new class of SSBN rumored to be in development for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Little information exists about the project. Some sources suggest that the new submarine will carry 24 SLBMs. It will be the successor to the Type 094 SSBN currently under evaluation by the PLAN.
Source: Wikipedia
All nuclear submarine info current as of January 2, 2011.
China is developing land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) for theatre warfighting and strategic attack. These cruise missiles seem to have a relatively high development priority to ensure that Chinese forces will have greater conventional firepower. Long-range cruise missiles probably will also be used to bolster the viability of Chinese military deterrence. The first LACM design produced probably will be air-launched from Chinese bombers and should be operational in the near future. China could develop a sea-launched version for use on either submarines or surface combatants.
Chinese LACM R&D is aided by an aggressive effort to acquire foreign cruise missile technology, particularly from Russia. China has also stolen enabling technologies, subsystems, GPS data, and technical data concerning cruise missile guidance systems from the United States.
On September 17, 2004,
Wendell Minnick at Jane's Defence reported China had
test-fired a new land attack cruise missile (LACM) designated Dong
Hai-10 (DH-10), or East China Sea-10. A
US defence source identified the DH-10 as a ground-launched
second-generation LACM with a range of more than 1,500km. He said
it was likely to be equipped with an integrated inertial
navigation system/Global Positioning System, supplemented by a
terrain contour mapping system and digital scene-matching
terminal-homing system. It has gone into mass production and is
deployed with the PLA’s Second Artillery Corps.
According to a US Defense Department report released on March 26, 2009, China continues to produce and purchase an array of sophisticated and accurate cruise missiles, including the DH-10 and YJ-62 land-attack cruise missiles and the Russian SS-N-22/SUNBURN supersonic air-launched cruise missile.
The SS-N-27B/SIZZLER supersonic air-launched cruise missile is placed on China's KILO-class diesel electric submarines purchased from Russia. The YJ-62C, a new variant of the YJ-62, has a range of 150 nautical miles; China has reportedly deployed 120 of these to naval bases near Taiwan.
The latest generation DH-10A is also believed to be deployed on China’s H-6K bomber, a re-engined and improved variant of the Xian H-6 that has six underwing hardpoints to carry large air-to-surface missiles. Images released on the Chinese internet show the H-6K carrying missiles roughly the same size and shape as the Tomahawk, with a “pinched” nose cone profile like the Tomahawk Block IV, making it more stealthy.
According to one report by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, at least 20 H-6 bombers have been modified for nuclear attack missions and up to 15 air-launched DH-10s are armed with tactical nuclear warheads. As well as a nuclear warhead and a conventional high-explosive (HE) warhead, the future Chinese cruise missile may also be able to carry a special warhead such as an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
All LACM/ACLM info current as of January 2, 2011.
Nostradamus provides numerous quatrains discussing war with China. Western China and Mongolia is the land of the "great King of the Mongols." But his territory also included Central Asia and Afghanistan. America has been at war with "Ghengis Khan" in Afghanistan since October 2001 and in Pakistan since 2008.
However, it is China that may be the "Red Adversary" who will put "the great [Pacific] Ocean to terror." China may also be "the Orient" that "will be in great fear and dread" sometime during the administration of US President Barack Obama or, should Obama be assassinated in 2010 or 2012, his successor Vice President Joe Biden (who is a war hawk). Biden, more so than Obama, could be the leader "born from the aquatic triplicity" (the United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico) who "celebrates Thursday as his feast day" (Thanksgiving Day is always on a Thursday) and will bring "a tempest to the Orient."
From all of this we can deduce only that the war will likely begin sometime during either Obama's or Biden's administration. It is possible that Nostradamus may be indicating that war will begin in November around the time of Thanksgiving. This would likely occur during any of the Obama-Biden administration years (2009, 2010, 2011, or 2012). Otherwise, Nostradamus provides no other dating clues.
We can also deduce that America will be the victor -- but at what cost?
My system of divination, base 7, had been indicating for some time that we would near the most dangerous period in March/April 2000. That having passed, another vector involving both China and North Korea presented itself in July/August 2006 ... which safely passed us by.
However, the next period of danger, in keeping with provocative events that had occurred in 2009, placed the US against a far more dangerous North Korea and China in March 2010 and again, in a possible military confrontation, in August-October 2010.
UPDATE (1/3/11): Yes, 2010 was indeed the most dangerous year thus far for Sino-US relations, Sino-Japanese relations, North Korean-South Korean relations, and North Korean-US relations since the Korean War of 1950-53 which saw the US at war with both China and North Korea.
March 2010 was the month that North Korea sank the South Korean warship The Cheonan. AS tensions between the two Koreas and the US and North Korea continued to build after blame was assessed by the United Nations against the North for The Cheonan and also during and after US war games with the South in July and August 2010, China too began making warnings and threats of its own. Once again, in October 2010, North Korea and China began making harsher threats during and following the four-nation war games involving South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia. Now, North Korea was threatening nuclear war. In November 2010, amid war threats and warnings, China carried out a test launch of an SLBM off the coast of Los Angeles. Two weeks later North Korea attacked inhabited civilian portions of Yeonpyeong island, killing some and injuring and displacing many. It was first actual "act of war" involving an attack on civilians since a ceasefire in the Korean War was agreed in 1953.
My base 7 projections for 2010 involving China and North Korea were highly accurate. Nor are they over. March 2011 sees the United States forced to evacuate civilians from Taiwan and other islands as China carries out its own attacks. Whether this will lead to full-scale conflict in the Pacific in 2011 I do not know. But if it does not and becomes one in a series of crises that will involve more provocations by North Korea similar to 2010, only worse, involving various small attacks and incursions, more attacks on ships (including US ships) and oil rigs, and also involve Russia and China clashing over disputed territories and waters (March 2011 and July/August 2011), we should see full-blown war in the region and then throughout Asia and the Pacific triggered by a Second Korean War in June 2013.
Regarding actual prophecy, I should warn the obvious: few if any Western prophets ever named China or North Korea as countries that would be at war. We see "Asia," "Orient," "Oriental," "Mongols," "yellow dragon," "red dragon," "red adversary," "kings of the east," "Magog," "Aemathien (as "Child of the Dawn"), and other appellations and descriptions that may apply to either of these countries, but then again, may not ("Orient" can also be applied to the Middle East, for example; "kings of the east" and "Mongols" could apply to Afghanistan and former Soviet Central Asia as well as Mongolia). Context is most important when deciding if a prophecy should be applied to China and/or North Korea. For Westerners, the future of the Far East is the most difficult to ascertain using prophecy that is European or American.
With the prophecies that are available, we shall examine what could happen. As time progresses, we will see varying scenarios where some of same prophecies could be applied as we include others.
The oldest material and articles will appear first and then newer material will appear below. When I feel an article has been worn out entirely or has little significance to the current situation, I will either integrate what is still relevent or else delete it.
Despite the Cold War -like chill that currently exists, there remains some hope that the US-Russian relationship still has some extra mileage left. While I have no doubt that at some point the two nations will become adversaries, the prophecies of Nostradamus indicate that something else must also happen, before or after a war between the two nuclear giants.
According to a number of quatrains and one Epistle to Henry II prose prophesy, Russia and the United States will join forces in an attempt to police the world and to battle mutual adversaries.
Whilst it is true that
the United States and Russia have demonstrated heated
disagreement over issues such as Nato expansion, a US missile
defence system, Georgia, Kosovo, and Iraq, there are mutual
issues over which they do commiserate. Both concur that the
bellicose China-Taiwan relationship and the dangerous escalation
of terrorist networks by Islamic fundamentalists threatens not
only regional stability but also their own national securities.
Despite the "pact" made
recently between Moscow and Beijing, there is and always has been
a sense in the Kremlin that one day this neighbouring nuclear
nation will turn against it after it has established a more
advanced nuclear arsenal. Indeed, in 1969, China and Russia went
to the brink of nuclear war after months of Chinese incursions
and skirmishes along the east Soviet border.
The conventional wisdom among Russian military experts is that China cannot actually be trusted and will once again pose a similar threat. Meanwhile, Washington already knows what Beijing's designs are for the United States in the event it should go to war with Taiwan.
In the event of a surprise attack on Taiwan, China's military leadership has already warned that a nuclear attack against US warships and US cities would immediately follow or be launched concurrently. Once this happens, US nuclear forces will be used to retaliate and the entire US nuclear arsenal will be placed on a high state of alert for further attacks.
There are those who believe Russia will take advantage of a Chinese attack to launch a surprise, large-scale nuclear attack on America. However, such a move would be suicidal since, as I have already mentioned, US nuclear forces would be on the highest state of alert during a retaliatory wave against China. Washington would be watching Moscow very closely. Russia could ill afford to ally with Beijing or even to risk neutrality in such a situation. Its logical move would be to side with the United States against China, setting back the PRC's ability to move against Russia by 20 or 30 years.
Nostradamus certainly appears to indicate a joint US-Russian war against China:
Whilst it is true that Quatrain 6.21 might have been applicable to certain events that occurred in 2000 -- line one to the Kursk rescue mission in the Barents Sea, line two to the violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and line three the US election crisis -- the dynamics of this quatrain certainlly allows for a deeper alliance between Russia and the US and a war against China in the Pacific. However, if fighting spreads westward to the Balkans, as indicated in line four, it is difficult to believe that the two military behemoths will remain united for very long.
The above Epistle extract I believe ultimately concerns events in the far future. However, like many of Nostradamus' quatrains, I also believe it is repetitive. History does repeat itself often and I feel Nostradamus was aware of this fact. Therefore, the Epistle prophecy will have a precedent -- and that precedent may very well be a US-Russian alliance against China.
From a base 7 perspective, the next opportunity for war between China and Russia could well happen soon: in March 2011 or July/August 2011. By August 2011 the US and Russia could well be allied against China and North Korea. In the same month a large part of China/North Korea could even be destroyed by nuclear weapons. Of course, these vectors, it must be remembered, are only "windows of opportunity" using the base 7 system. They do not have to happen this year, but could instead be events that are further in the future, perhaps much further.
One may also ask the question: will Russia and China unite militarily against Western Europe and the United States? Could Russia and China be "Gog and Magog?" The following articles and videos appear quite ominous on the surface:
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO is an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation.
source: wikipedia
China Seeks Russia Alliance to Counter US Dominance
Global Research, March 25, 2010
Looking to form a counterbalance to the power of the US, Beijing called on Moscow, as one of the emerging market economies, to enter into an alliance with China seeking to increase their leverage in global affairs.
Speaking after talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping hailed the strength of bilateral ties with Russia as a success and went on to express the Beijing government's support for Russia's growing power on the global stage.
"We are in favor of Russia playing an important role in international and regional affairs," Xi said, stressing that "we will surely support you."
"In our opinion, China and Russia should in the future facilitate the establishment of a multi-polar world and democratization of international relations," the Chinese official added.
The visit by the Russian official comes as Moscow and Beijing seek to put the rivalries of the Cold War behind them and rise as counterweights to the global dominance of the US.
Officials from both countries describe their trade and political ties as better than ever before.
In response to the Chinese official's remarks, Putin referred to China as Russia's "strategic partner in the full sense of this word."
The Russian prime minister went on to offer Moscow's support for China's stance on Taiwan, saying, "We have always supported China on the most sensitive issues, including the Taiwan problem."
Beijing considers Taiwan, which became the base for the self-styled Republic of China headed by Chiang Kai-shek when the Chinese Communist forces defeated the Chinese Nationalist Party in 1949, as an indivisible part of its territory and seeks reunification with the island.
RUSSIA AND CHINA UNITE AGAINST U.S. AND THE WEST
July 19, 2000 (The London Telegraph) -- The Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin yesterday denounced American plans for ballistic missile defence systems. They vowed to forge a close strategic alliance to curb Washington's dominance of world affairs.
The two leaders signed a strongly worded joint statement accusing America of planning to use the proposed National Missile Defence system ‘to seek unilateral military and security advantages’. This would pose ‘the most grave adverse consequences not only to the national security of Russia, China and other countries, but also to the security and international strategic stability of the United States’.
The statement also described as ‘unacceptable’ the incorporation of Taiwan into any lower-level US missile defence systems deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. This was a reference to ‘Theatre Missile Defence’, a ship-based missile shield being researched by Japan and America. Beijing is convinced that it is intended to neutralize Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan, the democratic, capitalist island which China is determined to unite with the mainland …
Both nations have faced international criticism for their brutal suppression of ‘separatism’, whether in Chechnya or the western Chinese regions of Xinjiang and Tibet. They share a horror of Western attempts to elevate human rights above sovereignty.
Yesterday's statement expressed mutual understanding and support for the two countries' respective campaigns to ‘safeguard national unification’. The declaration also pledged to defend the ‘leading role’ of the UN Security Council, of which China and Russia are permanent members.
The Book of Revelation warns that at a time shortly before the battle of Armageddon, perhaps early in a global war to which Armageddon is the conclusion, an army from the East comprised of 200 million soldiers will be sent to war against Israel, any Arab allies of Israel, and the nations of the West. Such an army China now boasts it has today.
Revelation 9:13-18 ~
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand [200,000,000]: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Revelation 16:12 ~
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Meanwhile,
the Old Testament prophet Daniel warns that
armies from the north and east together will attack the
beast who will rule over a united Europe, and this will happen,
again, shortly before Armageddon. One might conclude from this
prophecy that China and Russia will be allied against Europe and
against Israel and her allies.
Dan 11:42-44 ~
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
The question is whether this is World War III or a much later war. One must admit that a lot of prophecy that is in Revelation and Daniel has to happen yet -- nearly all of it has to, in fact. And these include at least two other world wars that will precede the one called Armageddon. So we may be talking about some distance in the future.
Then again, there are modern prophecies of a Russian alliance with China: one that will utterly destroy the United States with their nuclear arsenals. And the war over which this shall happen will be in North Korea:
Linda Newkirk "North Korea Barks War" ~
Even as you look at North Korea’s threats against the USA, Child, do not think that North Korea is threatening to blow up the USA alone. It has the backing of China, Russia and other countries; and they have been planning this trap for a long time. Step into this trap and it is curtains for the USA.
And yet again, such a terrifying and horrendous holocaust for America at the hands of Russia and China over North Korea is repeated in the following:
Dumitru Duduman "China and Russia Strike", April 22, 1996 ~
I saw the president of RUSSIA, a short, chubby man, who said he was the president of CHINA, and two others. The last two also said where they were from, but I did not understand. However, I gathered they were part of Russian controlled territory. The men stepped out of the cloud. The Russian president began to speak to the Chinese one. "I will give you the land with all the people, but you must free TAIWAN of the Americans. Do not fear, we will attack them from behind.
A voice said to me, "Watch where the RUSSIANS penetrate America." I saw these words being written: ALASKA; MINNESOTA; FLORIDA. Then, the man spoke again, "When America goes to war with China, the Russians will strike without warning."
The other two presidents spoke, "We, too, will fight for you." Each had a place already planned as a point of attack. All of them shook hands and hugged. Then they all signed a contract. One of them said, "We're sure that KOREA and CUBA will be on our side, too. Without a doubt, together, we can destroy America.
The president of Russia began to speak insistently, "Why let ourselves be led by the Americans? Why not rule the world ourselves? They have to be kicked out of Europe, too! Then I could do as I please with Europe!
The man standing beside me asked, "This is what you saw: they act as friends, and say they respect the treaties made together. But everything I've shown you is how it will REALLY happen. You must tell them what is being planned against AMERICA. Then, when it comes to pass, the people will remember the words the Lord has spoken."
"Who are you?" I asked. "I am the protector of America. AMERICA'S sin has reached God. He will allow this destruction, for He can no longer stand such wickedness. God however, still has people that worship Him with a clean heart as they do His work. He has prepared a heavenly army to save these people." As I looked, a great army, well armed and dressed in white, appeared before me.
In the meantime, Russia and China have many
outstanding differences as well as common interests. There also
exists, and has long existed, a mutual feeling of distrust. In
1969, China and the Soviet Union went to war briefly -- a war
that came very close to turning nuclear. According to the final
portion of a vision by Josyp Terelya, China and Russia will one
day wage a nuclear war against each other.
Terelya describes a map he is shown of Russia and all of the former Soviet Union and China.
Apparently a future nuclear war between Russia and China will one day occur. How long after the advent of "Vladimir", whom he predicts will arise in Russia and, following a great war in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, then invade Israel, is not clear.
I find it interesting that Arthurian legend also has a prophecy for us where this issue is concerned, just as it does with Gog and Magog. One night, it is said, King Arthur had a dream that perplexed him greatly. When he awoke, he summoned Merlin to interpret the dream:
As the king slumbered he beheld a vision, and, lo, a bear flying high in the air towards the east. Right huge and hideous of body was the bear, and marvelously horrible to see. Also the king saw a dragon flying over against him towards the west. The brightness of his eyes was such that the whole land and sea were filled with the radiance of his glory. When these two beasts came together, the dragon fell upon the bear, and the bear defended himself valiantly against his adversary. But the dragon put his enemy beneath him and, tumbling him to the earth, crushed him utterly in the dust.
Merlin could not tell Arthur that this was a battle between Russia and China because China was unknown to Rome, let alone the land of the Britons and Celts, at this time. However, he did suggest that the beasts were symbols for two great warring nations.
Today, we know that the dragon symbolises China and the bear symbolises Russia. Furthermore, in 1969, the late Jeane Dixon predicted that China and Russia would go to war against each other, that the conflict would last from 2025 to 2037, Russia would lose the war, Finland and Scandinavia would also fall, and that one whom she believed to be the beast of Revelation would deceive America and Western Europe into going to war with China and her allies and occupied lands a short time after 2037.
War between China and Russia is no guarantee that the two will not first turn against the United States, but there certainly appears to be sufficient prophecy to support a Sino-Russian war excluding the United States.
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June 25, 2009 (7:54 AM EDT): Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea ... the beating of the drums of war grow more deafening as next year's predicted events of war and revolution happen, instead, now together with some of the worst of this year's. Today we can add Iraq, once again, to the list as 72 people die and 117 are injured in Baghdad from a bomb blast ... the latest in a series of terrorist attacks accompanying a US withdrawal from Iraq's major cities.
Many of you have likely read the following quatrain before many times, yet we have never discussed it. After all, what leader of a nation has been young with black hair and has had the power of Armageddon at his fingertips?
We may be fairly sure an Iranian leader, either a president or supreme mullah, will fulfill Nostradamus' and Daniel's prophecies concerning a Persian conqueror who will go to war with the West. The African leader who is from the land of Hannibal and will lead a Libyan fleet and cause great terror we can surmise is Moammar Gadhafi or, if not, one of his sons. A great Arab from "Arabia felix" (Yemen/Saudi Arabia) who will have a nuclear arsenal at his command we may speculate is Osama bin Laden now that Al Qaeda has announced that they will take over Pakistan's nuclear weapons when they have defeated its government and use them against Western European and US cities. But what about this mysterious young man from greater Asia?
This is very important to remember: he is the only leader in the axis of nations and groups that will array themselves against Europe and the United States who Nostradamus depicts as being actually "replete with evil." Perhaps it is for this reason that we should regard him, rather than Iran's President Ahmadinejad, as the actual personification of the so-called "Third Antichrist" (not to be confused with the beast of Revelation).
North Korea has become unrelenting in its warlike ambitions. It freely does as it wishes, threatening war with its neighbours and against US naval vessels, building nuclear warheads and testing long-range missiles, launching them in the direction of US allies like Japan and at US states such as Alaska and Hawaii, further threatening to destroy US troops in South Korea with chemical weapons and US mainland cities with nuclear missiles. Much worse, it has had the financial support of Reverend Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church to build these terrible weapons and Moon, in turn, has had the support of the "powers that be" who seek to use global war as a means to depopulate the planet and usher in a false Armageddon and a phony messiah king.
Now it has been announced: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is preparing to pass the gauntlet to his 25-year-old son, Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un is already head of North Korea's spy agency and is rumoured to also be running part of his nation's military.
"Kim's son heads spy agency" - Straits Times, June 24, 2009 Wednesday - SEOUL (South Korea) - NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Il has put his youngest son in charge of the country's spy agency in a move aimed at handing the communist regime over to him, a news report said Tuesday ...
"Kim Jong-un: a profile of North Korea's next leader" - The Telegraph, 2 June 2009 - Reports in South Korea have described him as gung-ho and determined. There have been accounts of his fierce competitive streak when playing basketball with his middle brother, Kim Jong-chul, who was cruelly dismissed by his father after one lengthy drinking session with Japan's prime minister Fujimoto, as too "girlish" to lead. Long ago, the chef was certain who would be the heir to the world's only Communist ruling dynasty. "Jong-un will be his father's successor. Everyone used to say it. He looked and acted just like him". Obsequiously, the chef only referred to the young Kim as "Prince". "When he shook hands with me, he stared at me with a vicious look. I cannot forget the look in the Prince's eyes: it's as if he was thinking: 'This guy is a despicable Japanese'."
The younger Kim is believed to have studied at the International School of Berne in Guemligen, Switzerland, under a pseudonym before returning to a military academy in Pyongyang. There are varying reports that he can speak German, French and English. His rise to power has been inexorable. In 2004, when he was 20, there were reports that he and his brother were joining their father on military inspections.
Jong Un is said to be "ambitious" and a "take-no-prisoners" type — again, in contrast to his older brothers. Jong Un oversaw the handling of two female American journalists detained in March while on a reporting trip to the China-North Korea border. The reporters have since been sentenced to 12 years of hard labour for illegal border crossing and hostile acts.
As the world slumbers, a new Hitler may truly be coming to power in North Korea who will become dictator of Central Asia and Asia Minor with powerful allies in China. He is "black-haired" and likely will be "black-hearted" and "evil." He may become the dictator of what Nostradamus calls "the great Empire of Antichrist" which will evolve throughout the "the Attila" (Central Asia, Mongolia, China, Korea, Siberia, and Russia) and "Xerxes" (Iran) — also known as "the barbarian empire." Thus, this atheistic young dictator will find cause to be allied with the Islamic fundamentalist groups and nations of Asia. Much of the world may choose to ignore this young man's rise to power, just as it did when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933. Yet he may well become the personification of the third antichrist ... and it is doubtful we will have to wait six years for his war to begin. Indeed, his war and those of his allies may only be months or weeks away.
| DATELINE: January 4, 2003,
10:00 PM EST - The passing of North Korean
dictator Kim Il Sung on July 9, 1994 opened a new chapter
in the on-again, off-again crisis in the North Pacific
which began late in 1993. What information exists
concerning his shadowy only son, Kim Jong Il, should be
cause for sober thought. The evidence suggests that the
61-year-old successor to one of the most repressive and
isolated communist regimes in the world is a decadent and
dangerous psychopath. With the threat of a second
Korean War never more than another international incident
away, there is every indication that North Korea's despot
is more militant, audacious, and confrontational than his
predecessor. This excerpt from a July 10, 1994 Los
Angeles Times article by Teresa Watanabe provides us with
a disturbing view of the psychological profile of Kim
Jong Il:
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Despite a nuclear freeze negotiated by former US President Jimmy Carter with Kim Il Sung only a few weeks before Kim's death, numerous violations and threats to abrogate the treaty have occurred. Pyongyang finally abandoned the treaty in late December 2002, plunging the North Pacific, the Korean Peninsula, and the United States into the current crisis and setting the stage for a possible regional war -- one that could turn nuclear.
On April 22, 1997, Hwang Jang Yop, a high-ranking North Korean official who defected in early February, disclosed to the world that his country was "capable of scorching" South Korea and Japan with nuclear and chemical weapons. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence experts also confirmed that the isolated communist nation was in the process of developing a large force of long-range Taepo Dong ballistic missiles which will be capable of reaching targets throughout much of Canada and all of the western and part of the central United States by the year 2005. Neighbouring China already possesses this capability now.
On August 31, 1998, North Korea fired a new version of the Taepo Dong I missile with a range of 1,240 miles over Japan, sparking international concern and outrage. The booster landed in the Sea of Japan and the payload, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, crashed in the Pacific Ocean. A second test launch of a medium-range Taepo Dong in 1999 reached the waters off Hawaii. Thus it would appear that the 2005 missile danger to North America posed by North Korea as projected by U.S. intelligence experts may be an uncomfortably accurate assessment.
Kim Jong Il’s regime presents a continuing proliferation problem as well. On November 21, 1998, the Pentagon said North Korea was producing and marketing short range missiles to Iran, Libya, Syria, and Pakistan—all capable of carrying nuclear payloads. It is well known that the North Koreans have also been supplying nuclear technology to these countries throughout the decade of the 1990s.
The North Korean military has now begun to utter direct threats against the United States as it mindlessly pushes forward with its nuclear development program and militarisation of the DMZ like so many army ants. Since December 1998, North Korean military leaders have repeatedly accused the U.S. of plotting a second war in the Korean Peninsula and warned that they are prepared to fight back. A general staff spokesman added that "it must be clearly known that there is no limit to the strike of our People’s Army and that on this planet there is no room for escaping the strike."
Since November 1993, 750,000 North Korean troops have remained amassed near their border with the south. South Korea’s army, 670,000 strong, along with the 37,000 American forces permanently stationed there, are no match against the north’s army of 1.1 million soldiers, mass artillery, tanks, MiG fighter jets, and Soviet-made SCUD missiles. Most analysts agree that Pyongyang's abandonment of the 1994 nuclear freeze accord with the U.S. and Japan, the reported development of at least two nuclear warheads (possibly a dozen more in the next six months), and incursions of men and artillery in the DMZ are indications that the regime of Kim Jong Il may be planning an "opportunistic" invasion of South Korea when George W Bush launches his invasion of Iraq.
Indeed, on October 22,
1997, a senior top military defector revealed what Kim is
planning: to attack American forces in South Korea and Japan.
According to the defector, Kim believes that after he has
incurred 20,000 U.S. casualties, the United States will "roll
back its troops" and he will win the war. In the process, he
has claimed, North Korea will strike Seoul, Japan, and Alaska
with missiles equipped with chemical and nuclear warheads. With
North Korea's economy in shambles and famine rampant throughout
the country, Kim feels he has little to lose by commencing a
second Korean War. And while the masses starve, China is seeing
to it that the North Korean military is receiving large shipments
of food.
According to most U.S. military planners, a second Korean conflict would be won by the United States and would be over in 60 days: but at an horrendous price. Hundreds of thousands of casualties, tens of thousands of them American, would be the inevitable result. Also, there is the distinct possibility that North Korea might use whatever nuclear capability it already possesses against its North Pacific neighbors or to turn Seoul into "a sea of fire" as it has threatened in the past. This can be accomplished by launching medium-range missiles like the No Dong II or Taepo Dong I which are capable of reaching Tokyo or Seoul.
Two nuclear strikes off the coast of Tokyo, Taipei, or even Los Angeles may be indicated in the following quatrain:
Either Red China or North Korea could be responsible for the cataclysm implied by the above prediction. China currently possesses 52 nuclear submarines from which it can launch any of its roughly one hundred medium-range missiles. China also possesses four DF-5A long-range strategic missiles capable of striking the west coast of the United States and is aggressively developing its first line of CSS-4 ICBMs which will be capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. A potential scenario for Quatrain 9.48 could be one of China's DF-5As falling short of its target, striking the ocean waters a few miles just outside Los Angeles harbor. Instead of total immolation the city would be ravaged by radioactive hurricane-force winds and huge, poisonous tsunamis. What is truly frightening is that, given the threats made by Chinese officials concerning the consequences of U.S. interference, this scenario could have played itself out "in the spring" of March 23, 1996 had China decided to invade Taiwan.
However, if either China or North Korea chooses the path of nuclear terrorism, the "tempest to the Orient" by an American president forecast by Nostradamus in the following verse may well prove to be a nuclear firestorm:
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Commentators have long been divided as to the intended meaning behind the "aquatic triplicity," viewing it as either an astrological clue or a metaphor for the United States which is bordered on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. In late 1993, former President Clinton warned the late Kim II Sung that an unconventional attack on any of his neighbors would result in the total immolation of North Korea. Nevertheless, the following quatrain suggests that successor Kim Jong Il—or worse, China's President Hu Jintao—may desire to carry out the unthinkable:
Once again we are faced with "terror" which would certainly come "from the sky" via land-launched and sea-launched nuclear missiles. Is it possible that Quatrain 10.72 is somehow linked with this prophecy? If the color red in this instance is being used to represent communism, then the ocean upon which this red antagonist wreaks havoc must be the Pacific. The only nuclear communist states in that part of the world currently are China and North Korea.
This bodes ill for the future of other nations positioned around the "great Ocean"—including Japan, Australia, and the United States.
But what of Russia which also is situated on the Pacific Ocean? Let us hope that the Sino-Russian military pact against America and her Pacific allies is never activated.
NORTH
KOREA ATTACKS SOUTH KOREA:
SECOND
KOREAN WAR MAY TRIGGER WORLD WAR III
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CNN: In a sharp escalation of hostility along their disputed sea border, North Korean and South Korean forces traded fire Tuesday, a deadly skirmish that jacked up diplomatic tensions in a volatile region. Two South Korean marines were killed and 15 South Korean soldiers and civilians were wounded when the North fired about 100 rounds of artillery at Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, South Korea authorities said, according to the South Korean Yonhap news agency. South Korea's military responded with more than 80 rounds of artillery and deployed fighter jets to counter the fire, defense officials said. Firing between the two sides lasted for about an hour in the Yellow Sea, a longstanding flashpoint between the two Koreas. | |
November 23, 2010 (9:40 AM EST), UPDATED November 28, 2010 (8:33 AM EST): Do not underestimate the events unfolding at this time. All eyes have been on the Middle East rather than North Korea since it stopped making war threats in the face of US-South Korean war games in the summer. Aside from the fact that I predicted that war would be threatened by China and/or North Korea in this region by March 2010 and that, if not properly handled, war involving China and North Korea as allies would erupt by October 2010 and terrorise the entire Pacific (so sue me for being a month late), it was none other than Nostradamus who warned that 1) the United States would go to war in the Pacific against a Red Adversary around the time when the US leader would celebrate Thursday as a feast-day (Thanksgiving) or 2) they would go to war at an unspecified time against a US president who celebrated Thanksgiving.
Nostradamus, Quatrain 1.50 ~
From
the aquatic triplicity (USA) will be born one who will make
Thursday his feast-day (Thanksgiving):
His fame, praise, rule, and his power will grow, by land and sea,
a tempest to the Orient.
It was also the Hopi Indians who prophesied that a big war in Asia would trigger World War III:
"World
War III will be started by those peoples who first revealed the
light of divine wisdom in the other old countries
(India, China, Islamic Nations). The United States will be
destroyed, land and people, by atomic bombs and radioactivity."
The only good news at this writing is that what looked like an immediate war has been knocked down a notch to a major international crisis ... for the time being anyway. I need not remind anyone what can happen over the coming hours and days.
As I have stated in my predictions on China and North Korea time and again, remember that North Korea = China and vice versa. War with one will quite likely mean war with the other. Thus, there can be little doubt now that what appeared to be an SLBM (Submarine-launched Ballistic Missile) off the coast of California was indeed just that ... and was preparation for war by North Korea's large ally China.
At the same time, a "young black-haired man" Nostradamus also calls "Aemathien" (which means "child of the dawn" or "child of the sun") is being groomed to replace his dying father, Kim Jong Il. This Aemathien may wage a great war by March-April 2011.
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Nostradamus, Quatrain 2.70 ~ The dart from the sky will make
its journey, deaths in speaking: great execution: The
stone Nostradamus, Quatrain 3.60 ~ Throughout all Asia great
conscription, also in Mysia, Lycia, and Pamphilia: Blood
flows |
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It is now being reported that both Kim Jong Il and his son approved of the Fuel Air Explosives (FAE) attack on Yeonpyeong Island and were personally on hand to observe. This "rite of passage" was actually Jong Un's first command of North Korea's military machine.
According to Le Pelletier (1867), "Aemathien" occurs in mythology as a character who opens the morning gates for the rising sun. Likewise, Charles Ward (1891) links Aemathien to the sun, both as its guardian and as the possible father of Phaeton. Because this figure can be identified as either "the child of the dawn (east)" or "the child of the sun," it is quite possible for one to interpret the Aemathien as being a Far Eastern king, perhaps from Japan, China, or Korea. In fact Maurice LaCasse (1992) actually settled on the theory that the Aemathien would be a Japanese dictator who would ally with Saddam Hussein during the Third World War.
Saddam is now long dead, but the theory of Aemathien being a Far Eastern king, in fact the dictator of North Korea, now holds much promise as Kim Jong Un is being prepared to take control of that country when his terminally-ill father, Kim Jong Il, dies. Kim Jong Un is already head of North Korea's spy agency and part of his nation's military. Jong Un is said to be "ambitious" and a "take-no-prisoners" type in contrast to his older brothers. Jong Un oversaw the handling of two female American journalists detained in March while on a reporting trip to the China-North Korea border. The reporters have since been sentenced to 12 years of hard labour for illegal border crossing and hostile acts.
Kim may also be the "young black-haired man," a figure of great power and evil, who appears in Asia according to several of Nostradamus' quatrains. Indeed, if Kim Jong Il is the "Caligula of North Korea" then his son will become "the Nero of Asia," fiddling while the world burns.
Whenever full-scale war rages throughout Asia and soon the world, the Queen of England, thus Great Britain, will declare war on North Korea and its new dictator at Easter:
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Nostradamus, Quatrain 10.58 ~ At
a time of mourning the feline monarch will declare war on
the young Aemathien: Nostradamus, 7.16 ~ The deep entry by the great
Queen renders the place powerful and inaccessible: |
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The "time of mourning" each year, of course, is Lent which culminates with Easter. Next year, in 2011, Lent runs from 17 February until Easter on 24 April. However, it is possible that the death of a world leader will occur at this time or possibly a member of the British Royal family (Charles, William, or Harry?). It may even be the Queen herself who dies, in which case Quatrain 7.16 will not apply and the "feline monarch" of Quatrain 10.58 ("feline" being a reference to the "lions" in the coats-of-arm) will be a newly anointed King Charles III, or even instead, King William I. Prince William and Kate Middleton are to be married on 29 April 2011 ... five days after Easter.
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Nostradamus, Quatrain 9.64 ~ Aemathien will cross the
Pyrenees in March, Narbonne will not offer any resistance: Nostradamus, Quatrain 9.93 ~ The enemies are driven far from
the strong one, by vehicles the bastion is led |
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Cap. either means Capet (the French king or leader, now Nicolas Sarkozy) or "the Cape" (the Pope, now Benedict XVI). It is most likely to be the French president. Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and other nations are allegedly allied with North Korea. By March 2011 it would not be neccessary for Kim Jong Un to personally lead North Korean troops into France (which is highly unlikely); but a Muslim coalition led by Iran allied with North Korea could do the job of invading southern Europe, including southern France, in his name.
Personally, I find such an action to be way too premature ... and much more likely to occur, from a base 7 perspective, in September 2013 or March 2014. However, not long afterwards, if these quatrains truly apply, will the invading armies be crushed by a different French leader Nostradamus names "Chiren." In Quatrain 9.93 he is called "Hercules" ... a term Nostradamus applies to five future world emperors, of which Chiren shall be the first.
Tuesday, December 31, 2002
FOXNews.com
SEOUL, South Korea — Just hours after the last two U.N.-certified nuclear inspectors left the country, North Korea raised the stakes in its standoff with the United States Tuesday, stating that war was likely but that invading American troops would be wiped out "to the last man."
South of the DMZ, both South Korea's president and president-elect urged negotiations to ease the deepening crisis over Pyongyang's resumed nuclear program, and said economic sanctions being considered by Washington might not work.
In Moscow, North Korea's ambassador to Russia said that the U.S. had threatened his country "with a pre-emptive nuclear strike," the Interfax news agency reported.
"These conditions also make it impossible for us to abide by the [nuclear nonproliferation] treaty," Ambassador Pak Ui Chun said, "whose main provision bans nuclear powers from using nuclear weapons against countries that do not have them."
Pyongyang's main newspaper was no less strident. "The U.S. is stepping up preparations for a war against the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], persistently turning aside the latter's constructive proposal for concluding a nonaggression treaty," said Rodong Sinmun. "If the enemy invades even an inch of the inviolable territory of the DPRK, the people's army and people of the DPRK will wipe out the aggressors to the last man."
"Inevitable is the confrontation with the imperialists as long as they do not abandon the aggressive and predatory nature," continued the article, as translated on the English language-section of the North's official Korean Central News Agency Web site. "So there is no other way than winning a victory by firmly struggling against the imperialists without the slightest concession and hesitation."
Meanwhile, the international community's attempt to monitor North Korea's nuclear ambitions ended with a whimper, as the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, a Lebanese man and a Chinese woman, flew into in Beijing Tuesday. "We cannot comment on anything at this stage," the man said, mobbed by reporters at Beijing's Capital Airport.
An IAEA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one inspector would stay on in Beijing for a few days but the other was expected to return to IAEA headquarters in Vienna on Wednesday. The IAEA conducts nuclear inspections on behalf of the U.N. worldwide, including in Iraq. Pyongyang ordered the expulsion of the two monitors on Friday.
"We were the eyes of the world," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming in Vienna Tuesday. "Now we virtually have no possibility to monitor North Korea's nuclear activities nor to provide any assurances to the international community that they are not producing a nuclear weapon."
Fleming said the expulsions left the agency reliant on satellite imagery. "It's a position this agency does not like to be in," she said. "We need to be on the ground at the facilities directly, in order to be in a position to verify a given country's nuclear declaration."
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said they were considering using heavy economic pressure on the communist North to give up its nuclear ambitions. North Korea blames Washington for raising tensions over its nuclear issue.
South Korea's President-elect Roh Moo-hyun raised doubts about whether economic sanctions might work. He worried they could backfire and trigger armed conflicts on the world's last Cold War frontier. More than two million troops are massed on both sides of the Korean border.
"I am skeptical whether so-called 'tailored containment' reportedly being considered by the United States is an effective means to control or impose a surrender on North Korea," Roh told reporters.
Roh, who begins a five-year term in February, supports outgoing President Kim Dae-jung's "sunshine" policy of engaging North Korea. They believe that dialogue is the only viable way to resolve the North's nuclear issue peacefully.m Roh requested that the United States consult South Korea, a close ally, before formulating a new approach in its policy toward North Korea.
"Success or failure of a U.S. policy toward North Korea isn't too big a deal to the American people, but it is a life-or-death matter for South Koreans," he told reporters. "Therefore, any U.S. move should fully consider South Korea's opinion."
The outgoing president, Kim, stressed the importance of a strong alliance between South Korea and the United States in dealing with the nuclear issue, said his spokeswoman, Park Sun-sook.
"The United States is by far the most important ally for us," the spokesman quoted Kim as saying at a dinner meeting with Cabinet members Monday night. He added that pressure on North Korea would not necessarily work against reclusive North Korea. About 37,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the North.
South Korean officials are alarmed at signs that North Korea may withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, a move that would drastically escalate the nuclear crisis. On Tuesday, Fleming said the Vienna-based nuclear agency had heard of such concerns but that as of noon Tuesday, North Korea had not declared to the IAEA that it was abandoning the treaty.
In recent weeks, North Korea removed monitoring seals and cameras from its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon that were frozen under a deal with the United States in 1994. North Korea says that it is willing resolve concerns over its nuclear program if the United States signs a nonaggression treaty. Washington rules out any talks before the North changes course.
South Korea's Assistant Foreign Minister Lee Tae-shik plans to visit Beijing on Thursday to solicit Chinese help. South Korea also plans to dispatch a delegation to Russia but no date has been set.
Russia and China are among the few countries in the world which maintain friendly ties with North Korea. The Koreas were divided in 1945. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice agreement, not in a peace treaty, meaning the North and South are technically still at war.
October 30, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern
WorldNetDaily.com
An alliance between North Korea, Iran, Syria and Iraq brought the world to the brink of war in 1992, says a new book exploring U.S. policy failures in the Middle East and the way they opened the door for dramatic terrorism in the 21st century.
The alliance, detailed in terror expert Yossef Bodansky's "The High Cost of Peace," takes on special significance with recent admissions by North Korea that it has already joined the nuclear club. Iran, significantly, also has nuclear weapons, Bodansky says.
"During the spring and early summer of 1991, as the Soviet Union was wobbling toward its demise, the anti-U.S. strategic mantle passed to an informal grouping of rogue states – the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran," writes Bodansky. "All aspirant powers, they were alarmed by the demonstration of American military might, resolve and technological expertise in the war against Iraq. However, with time, these regimes reached more realistic conclusions about the lessons of the Gulf War."
These nations, and later others, agreed on three tenets insofar as the U.S. goes:
Though Iran had fought a bloody war with its neighbor Iraq – a conflict that killed as many as 1 million people on both sides – by 1991, Tehran and Baghdad began to see their mutual fates were tied together, writes Bodansky.
By the spring of 1992, with Iran's help, Iraq was not only trading with Syria for basic consumer goods, it was also buying sophisticated weapons systems from China and North Korea – delivered through Iran. By July, Iran was assuming leadership of this new axis with plans to evict the U.S. from the Persian Gulf and the Middle East on its way to destroying Israel. War was planned for the fall – and North Korea was to play a significant role, according to Bodansky.
In October, Iran deployed its two nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles. But, after the buildup, the preparations for war fizzled out. An internal political crisis in North Korea was the reason. Dictator Kim Il-Sung was ill. But he was not yet ready to yield power to his son, Kim Jong-Il. Though North Korea officials told Iranian leaders they were still ready to go to war with the U.S. before the U.S. elections, Tehran determined that "confidence was lacking at the highest level."
This history raises questions about North Korea's recent announcement that it, too, has joined the nuclear club. Some intelligence analysts believe the timing of that public declaration was meant to deter or delay the imminent U.S. attack on Iraq. They say both Iraq and Iran are on the verge of significant technological breakthroughs that could change the balance of power in the region. And, they say, North Korea is once again working in concert with this anti-American alliance.
"In the spring of 2002, Iran crossed a major operational threshold with the successful test-firing of the Shihab-3 ballistic missile," Bodansky writes. "Launched from the Semnan region on May 1, the Shihab-3 achieved a range of more than 600 miles and struck its intended target – a major first. Any lingering doubts about the actuality of the Iranian nuclear threat were dispelled on May 24, during the Bush-Putin summit in Moscow, in a briefing by the Russian deputy chief of the general staff, General Yuri Baluyevsky. Addressing the significance of the Iranian ballistic-missile program as a regional and global threat, Baluyevsky was most explicit: 'Iran does have nuclear weapons. Of course, these are non-strategic nuclear weapons. I mean these are not ICBMs with a range of more than 5,500 kilometers and more.' While Iran may not be able to hit Moscow or Washington with its nuclear-tipped missiles, it can certainly strike Israel."
February 12, 2002
From Oliver August in Beijing
Times Online
CHINESE scientists are close to a breakthrough in rocket technology that would allow Beijing to overcome President Bush’s proposed anti-missile shield, American military analysts say.
The People’s Liberation Army is believed to be in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile with multiple warheads, matching Russian, American and British nuclear technology. One Washington analyst said: “It looks like the Chinese are much further (ahead) than we originally thought.”
China’s most advanced missiles have a range in excess of 8,000 miles, which puts them within striking distance of the continental United States. Chinese scientists are working on equipping these missiles with multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (Mirvs), meaning that the warhead can separate into more than a dozen individual weapons in space.
At present China has around 20 long-range missiles, a number that experts say would allow the American shield to protect against the Chinese arsenal. Washington aims to be able to guard against attacks by rogue states employing up to 24 missiles.
If Beijing upgraded all its missiles with multiple warheads, the analyst said, “it could easily overwhelm the shield. That would change the balance of power in Asia.”
US government agencies have followed China’s pro-gress in missile technology closely before a decision on the development of the missile shield.
Beijing is said to have stepped up Mirv tests in recent weeks. Earlier this month the Japanese media reported a test flight, during which a Chinese missile completed the first half of its trajectory before disintegrating upon the deployment of the separate warheads.
It was a Dongfeng-31, which has a range of more than 5,000 miles. China is also said to be preparing for a test of the naval version. US intelligence officials are said to have spotted preparations for the test at a Chinese naval port.
Washington first highlighted China’s attempt to develop Mirv technology in 1998, when it claimed that Beijing had obtained Russian SS18 missile technology.
The topic is expected to be discussed during President Bush’s visit to Beijing next week.
by Charles R. Smith (NewsMax)
Tuesday, March 13, 2001
According to congressional sources, China is rapidly moving toward war. A newly released congressional report predicts that China will attack Taiwan unless the United States supplies badly needed defense systems to the tiny island nation. "Taiwan is virtually defenseless against the 250 missiles now deployed by Beijing," noted Al Santoli, senior foreign policy adviser to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. The investigative report prepared by Santoli was delivered to Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee. "If we do not send strong political signals by enhancing Taiwan's defense systems, and urging democratic cohesion in Taipei, Beijing could go for the gusto [invade Taiwan] even before it reaches its full deployment of 600 cross-Strait missiles by 2005," states the congressional report.
According to the report, Taiwan is now helpless against the growing arsenal of advanced missiles being deployed by Beijing. The report calls upon newly elected President Bush to supply "long-range radar systems" and "software links" to Taiwan to "more rapidly tie together its disparate warning and response systems." "From Defense Minister Shi-wen Wu to Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Yao-ming Tang to IW/EW Commander Lt. Gen Abe Lin to ship and submarine commanders in Kaoshiung, all emphasized the need for the Aegis naval (radar) system," noted the report.
Clinton Policy Destabilized Region
In 2000, the Clinton administration refused to export the Aegis radar system to Taiwan and withheld U.S.-made AMRAAM air defense, citing pressure from Red China. Congressional defense experts now cite Taiwan's lack of advanced radar and defensive missiles as inviting Red China to attack now. "The PLA is rapidly bringing a new generation of Russian-made fighters on line with advanced avionics and air-to-air missiles. It is a cruel joke to withhold U.S. AMRAAM missiles purchased by Taiwan in Hawaii until after the PLA begins firing at them," noted the report.
"We should have learned from Vietnam. The current nonsensical policy is similar to Robert McNamara and his Whiz Kids in 1965. Taiwan should receive the AMRAAMs now, to deter an attack."
Red Subs Threaten Taiwan and U.S.
The report also noted that Taiwan's submarine force is badly outnumbered and outclassed by new Chinese attack subs. "The PLA navy now has 96 operational submarines, including state of the art diesel subs, compared to the 4 submarines of the Taiwan navy. Two of those [Taiwanese] submarines are Guppies built in 1946," states the congressional report. "The U.S. should sell at least a few submarines to Taiwan, as well as provide advanced air and surface ASW assets."
The newly released congressional report also underscored assessments by U.S. defense analysts about the rapid increase in the Chinese submarine and missile forces. The Chinese navy's single ballistic missile submarine cannot reach American targets from its home waters. However, in January China tested its new submarine-launched JL-2 (Great Wave) missile from underwater.
According to the Cox report, the JL-2 was built using stolen American nuclear secrets. The 7,000-mile-range JL-2 missile is capable of striking three targets with lightweight nuclear warheads and can destroy any city along the heavily populated U.S. West Coast from Chinese home waters. U.S. intelligence sources confirmed that China is constructing a new class of nuclear submarine to carry the JL-2 missile. Each submarine is designed to carry 16 JL-2 missiles. The PLA Navy is expected to take delivery of the first JL-2 armed nuclear sub in 2005.
KLUB Cruise Missile
In addition, the Chinese navy recently bought two advanced Russian Kilo-class diesel attack submarines. U.S. defense sources stated they were gravely concerned the submarines, undergoing modification in the Russian Bol'shoy Kamen shipyard, would be equipped with a deadly new underwater-fired missile - the 3M54 "KLUB," NATO code-named SS-N-27. China is reported to be on the verge of concluding a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Moscow to equip its rapidly growing attack submarine force with the KLUB, a long-range, airborne cruise missile reported to be similar in performance and range to the U.S. Tomahawk. "The Chinese are reported to be interested in the KLUB, but no reports of a sale just yet," stated Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation.
The KLUB "comes in two versions. One is a 300 km land attack cruise missile similar to the Tomahawk. If the PLA purchases this version of the KLUB, it would then have a strategic force projection capability if placed on current or future submarines," noted Fisher. "With this version of the KLUB, the PLA could support Iran by attacking Western Coalition bases in the Middle East, or by attacking India in the event of a war with Pakistan. It also has more options to attack Taiwan and U.S. bases in Asia in the event of conflict there," stated Fisher.
"The second version of the KLUB is a subsonic cruise missile with a supersonic rocket second stage that attacks ships. Again, the U.S. or many of its allies lack the ability to defend against this kind of missile. For the PLA, the long range of the KLUB can be exploited once it has its soon-to-be launched constellation of imaging and radar satellites."
Jack Spencer, a defense analyst and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, echoed Fisher's concerns, noting that the KLUB and other Russian missile were designed with American targets in mind. "This anti-ship missile is very difficult to defend against and it was developed to kill American ships," emphasized Spencer. "The thing to remember is that the United States depends largely on its Navy to project power around the world. So we should find it exceedingly troubling that these anti-ship missiles are proliferating at such a dangerous rate," noted Spencer ...
Taipei, Aug. 8 (CNA) Beijing has deployed more than 400 guided missiles along the coastal provinces of Jiangsi and Fujian opposite Taiwan, according to the 2000 National Defense Report released by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Tuesday. The range of the missiles covers the whole of Taiwan, according to the report. The report further said that the number of missiles will increase by over 600 by the year 2005. It pointed out that Beijing's armed forces deployment maintains a "positive defense" strategy combining army, navy, air force and missile units in the seven military regions of mainland China. Beijing has been redoubling its efforts to modernize its armed forces, the report said, adding that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has launched across-the-board reforms in training, war strategy and administration.
Affected by the Persian Gulf War, Beijing reformed its Central Military Commission (CMC), the country's highest military guiding body, in 1998. A General Logistics Department was established under the direct control of the CMC to carry out the procurement, research and administration of weapons and related equipment, the report said. With regard to missile development, the report went on, Beijing has been concentrating its efforts on improving the mobility, precision and capability of its guided missiles. Beijing has successfully developed its Dongfeng 31 ballistic missile and is also developing new missiles with solid fuel to replace its old missiles that use liquid fuel.
With respect to the air force, under the technical assistance of Israel and cooperation with Russia, the PLA Air Force has successfully manufactured J-10 and J-11 jet fighters that will enter military service by 2005. The combat capabilities of these jet fighters are similar to those of US-made F-15s and F-16s. Beijing has also purchased AA-12 air-to-air missiles to build up the combat capability of its warplanes, and has self-developed a low-level, all-weather bomber -- the J-7 -- as well as buying Russian-made Su-30MKK fighter-bombers. The mainland has also successfully developed a series of anti-aircraft missiles, including the Red Flag-9, the SA-10, the Red Flag-7 and the SA-15, according to the report.
With regard to naval developments, Beijing is developing the model-093 and model-094 nuclear-powered assault and guided missile submarines. The O94 can be equipped with 12 to 16 intercontinental long-range missiles that would reach all of the United States. Beijing has also bought modern-class destroyers and K-class diesel powered submarines from Russia, the report said.
