He Junyi/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
- Chinese media has been showing off a lot of Chinese weapons systems, running out report after report over the past month.
- Some analysts speculated that China was trying to send a warning about its growing power.
China ran report after report on Chinese military developments this past month, leading some observers to suspect that China is trying to send a message to its rivals and citizens at a time of heightened tensions with the US.
China is currently "on the verge of fielding some of the most modern weapon systems in the world," a new US defense intelligence assessment warned in mid-January. Chinese media seems determined to let the world, especially the US, know it developing powerful new weapons.
The Chinese military is reportedly working on everything from railguns to knife guns to "carrier killer" anti-ship missiles. Here are seven of the weapons China's been showing off.
1. Electromagnetic railgun
US Navy/AP
Photos of an old tank-landing ship carrying a railgun prototype surfaced online last year, and Chinese state media claimed earlier last month that Chinese warships will "soon" be equipped with naval railguns capable of targets at great distances.
"Chinese warships will 'soon' be equipped with world-leading electromagnetic railguns, as breakthroughs have been made," China's Global Times reported, citing state broadcaster CCTV. Chinese media asserted that "China's naval electromagnetic weapon and equipment have surpassed other countries and become a world leader."
While it appears that China is making progress, railguns are militarily useless compared to existing alternatives, experts have told Business Insider.
Read More: China is rushing to put railguns on warships, but the superguns are likely worthless in a war
"This is a part of China's strategic communication plan to show that it is a rising power with next-generation military capabilities," explained Bryan Clark, a naval affairs expert.
China has suggested that the technology could be used to develop electromagnetic catapults for China's future aircraft carriers.
2. China's version of the "Mother of All Bombs"
Youtube screenshot
China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, a major Chinese defense industry corporation, has, according to Chinese media, developed a massive conventional weapon for China's bombers known as the "Chinese version of the 'Mother of All Bombs.'"
The weapon is reportedly China's largest non-nuclear bomb, the Global Times explained, citing the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Read More: China is showing off its homemade version of America's 'Mother of All Bombs'
Although China is using the same nickname for its bomb, the Chinese weapon is smaller and lighter than its American counterpart, a 21,600-pound bomb which the US dropped on Islamic State targets in Afghanistan in 2017.
The weapon would likely be carried by the Chinese Xi'an H-6K bombers. The American version is so large that it has to be carried by a C-130.
3. 'Carrier killer' missiles
Youtube screenshot
The DF-26 ballistic missile is not a new weapon, but China recently released, for the first time, video footage of a recent exercise involving the weapon, which is reportedly able to carry conventional and nuclear warheads for strikes against land and sea-based targets.
The DF-26 is commonly referred to as a "carrier killer." The video revealed certain features suggesting the missile is a capable anti-ship weapon with the ability to take out a US aircraft carrier. These missiles are also known as "Guam killer" missiles because they are believed to be capable of ranging US military installations in the Pacific.
Analysts argue that China released the video of its DF-26 ballistic missiles to send a message to the US.
The exercise sent "a clear message to the US about China's growing missile capability, and that it can hold at risk US strategic assets, such as carriers and bases," Adam Ni, a researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, told the South China Morning Post.
Read More: China shows off its 'carrier killer' missiles to send 'a clear message to the US'
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- We ranked the world's nuclear arsenals — here's why China's came out on top
- China's new 'carrier killer' video is a treasure trove of military intel that should worry the US Navy
- 51 years ago, Vietnamese forces launched the Tet Offensive and changed how America saw the Vietnam War
from Business Insider https://read.bi/2CZixWT
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