During the 2019 Tiananmen Parade, China unveiled a peculiar weapon, the Dongfeng 17 missile. With its unconventional appearance resembling a flat drill, reminiscent of those used by street gangsters, this missile stood out from China’s typically cylindrical designs. However, its unique appearance is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Dongfeng 17 boasts a remarkable capability
flying at an astonishing speed of Mach 15. This blistering velocity presents a significant challenge for global missile defense systems, potentially rendering them ineffective. Notably, even the mighty US aircraft carriers may find it challenging to defend against this formidable weapon.
The Primary Focus: Ground Targets
While the Dongfeng 17 has attracted attention for its anti-ship capabilities, its primary purpose lies in attacking ground targets. This missile excels at striking fixed installations, making it a formidable threat to enemy military bases, command centers, and vital infrastructure. The anti-ship missions serve as a secondary role, further showcasing the versatility of this weapon system.
Impressive Speed, Limited Maneuverability: The Dongfeng 17’s defining characteristic is its extraordinary speed. Traveling at Mach 15, it blazes through the atmosphere with incredible swiftness.
However, this remarkable speed also limits its maneuverability, particularly when engaging moving targets such as aircraft carriers. The missile’s lack of terminal maneuverability poses a significant challenge. Adjusting its flight path and accurately targeting a rapidly moving object like an aircraft carrier becomes an exceptionally difficult task.
Unlike airplanes, the Dongfeng 17 lacks large wings and variable cycle engines, which are crucial for agile maneuvering. As a result, achieving precise strikes on aircraft carriers becomes a formidable challenge.
Barriers and Target Limitations: Two critical factors further hinder the Dongfeng 17’s effectiveness against aircraft carriers. Firstly, the missile encounters a phenomenon known as the “black barrier” at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
This barrier interferes with electromagnetic wave signals, including radar detection. Overcoming this obstacle requires the missile to reduce its speed below Mach 5, allowing it to regain visibility and receive satellite signals for trajectory correction.
Secondly, the US aircraft carriers’ mobility and their ability to maintain radio silence pose additional challenges to the Dongfeng 17’s targeting accuracy. The carriers’ constant movement and efforts to remain undetected make it difficult for the missile to track them accurately.
Intended Targets and Technological Advancements: Analyzing the Dongfeng 17’s range, approximately 1,800 to 2,500 kilometers, suggests that its primary focus is on specific regions rather than the United States or American aircraft carriers. Speculations regarding its intended targets include Guam, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and India.
However, the closest distance between Guam and mainland China exceeds the missile’s range. Moreover, countries like Japan, South Korea, and India possess robust anti-missile capabilities that can diminish the necessity of the Dongfeng 17’s deployment.
Focus on the Taiwan Strait: A closer examination reveals that the Dongfeng 17’s ideal theater of operation is the Taiwan Strait. With its range covering the outer seas of Taiwan, the missile effectively targets fixed installations, including military bases and ports. By neutralizing these strategic points swiftly, the Dongfeng 17 aims to rapidly incapacitate Taiwan’s military forces in the event of hostilities.
Countermeasures and Future Developments: China has been actively pursuing countermeasures to overcome the challenges posed by black barriers. Radar detection technology capable of penetrating the black barrier has been developed, enhancing the missile.
Enhancing the Missile’s Effectiveness: China has been actively pursuing countermeasures to overcome the challenges posed by the black barrier. The development of radar detection technology capable of penetrating the black barrier is a significant breakthrough.
This advancement enhances the missile’s ability to detect and track moving targets, such as aircraft carriers, even at high speeds. Combining this technology with improved terminal maneuvering capabilities could significantly enhance the Dongfeng 17’s effectiveness against mobile assets.
Waverider Warhead and Aircraft Carrier Killers: In addition to the Dongfeng 17, China has made notable progress in developing other potent anti-ship weapons. The wave rider warhead detonation engine version of the Dongfeng 21D, known as the aircraft carrier killer, may already be in service. With its double-cone warhead, this weapon poses a serious threat to US aircraft carriers.
The advancement of flight structures in wave rider technology has led to ongoing optimization and improvement of the Dongfeng 21D. As a result, China has gained the capability to effectively challenge the dominance of US aircraft carriers within the second island chain.
Furthermore, the Eagle Strike 21 anti-ship missile, carried by the advanced Chinese destroyers 052D and 055, is another formidable weapon designed specifically to target aircraft carriers. Despite its double-cone structure, the missile can “float” on the sea surface, adding an element of surprise to its attack. With its high-speed radar response, the US military has minimal reaction time, potentially forcing sailors to abandon their ships within minutes.
Recent Naval Exercises: A notable incident occurred during the People’s Liberation Army’s exercise in the Taiwan Strait, where the “Nimitz” and “Shandong” aircraft carriers came into close proximity, with the distance between them narrowing to approximately 200 nautical miles.
Surprisingly, the US aircraft carrier withdrew from the area, evading potential confrontation. This incident highlights the strategic impact and effectiveness of China’s developing anti-ship capabilities.
Conclusion: The Dongfeng 17 hypersonic missile stands as a remarkable achievement for China’s military technology. Its incredible speed and capability to strike ground targets with precision make it a formidable weapon system. While its effectiveness against aircraft carriers faces challenges due to limited maneuverability and the black barrier phenomenon, China’s ongoing technological advancements in radar detection and terminal maneuvering may mitigate these issues. Coupled with the development of other potent anti-ship weapons like the Dongfeng 21D and the Eagle Strike 21, China has been steadily expanding its capabilities to challenge the dominance of US aircraft carriers in the region.
As military technologies continue to evolve, the balance of power in global conflicts may shift. It is essential for nations to closely monitor these developments and strategize accordingly to ensure peace and stability in the ever-changing geopolitical landscape.
