China has announced that they are indeed investing heavily in their military.
They have developed a stealth fighter they call J-20. This aircraft has been designed and built by
the Chinese from the drawing board, and not using technology that has been gathered from other
nation's planes.
While at the present it is not on a par with U.S. or Russian fighter/bombers and needs much work
to bring it even close to our planes. Some have said it will take 10 or 15 years to reach that level.
Still it is a frightening thought that China is progressing as quickly as they are.
China also has announced that it has developed an anti-ship ballistic missile designed to target
aircraft carriers is now operational.
The land based, and mobile missile, called Dongfeng 21 D is designed to attack aircraft carrier groups
with the help of satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) and come at them from high
altitudes.
Although the U.S. has not seen an over the water test of the new missile, it combined with China's
increased anti-access area denial capabilities, such as submarines, long range anti-ship cruise
missiles, anti-ship aircraft, are causing great concern; not only in the U.S. but also in neighboring
countries.
Japan and Taiwan are sure to be thinking long as well as short range possibilities. The recent
buildup of China's military is almost like telling the U.S. that China is a force to be reckoned
with, and will do what they feel necessary.
How far will China go? What will be the next step?
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans
"We Remember"
---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996
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