Re: J-20... The New Generation Fighter II
While the ASBM project is a great success for the PLA, I don't think they can use it as abundantly as conventional missiles. Balllistic missile by nature, are very expensive to produce. Separation of stages must be carefully machined and calibrated, and the solid fuel rockets are notorious for being expensive and prone to failures. I am almost certain PLA can only field limited amount of ASBM (less than ~100 - since the very similar DF-21 in the inventory are around 60-80 so far only) only as deterrent, not as offensive weapon. So the tactics of using ASBMs sparingly to saturate the target would not be possible. It is impossible to break the american fleet air defense since each CVBG (or CSG - carrier strike group) would have 1-2 Aegis guided missile cruisers (CG) (each equipped with standard missiles SM-2 or SM-3 which are designed to intercept ballistic missiles), of the Ticonderoga class (68 SM-2 each); 2-3 guided missile destroyers (DDG), of the Arleigh Burke class (96 SM-3 each), that's a total of (68+92+92) 260 SM missiles MINIMUM to overcome, or (68+68+92+92+92) 424 at the upper range of the count. With less than 100 ASBMs to utilize, it simply cannot be a threat to the american CSG fleet if you only use ASBM.
The Russians had this "mass missile swarming" strategy to overcome american CSG back in the cold war days, and the Americans knew about this and already had strategies to counter this. I don't think replaying the same strategy in this day and age 20 years after cold war ended this is very smart.
On the other hand, I think Americans for whatever the reason have not anticipated other countries to acquire stealth technologies. I have NEVER heard of talk of such in any of the defence circles and they seem to think they can keep stealth tech to themselves forever. So I think they are totally not prepared for stealth based offensive weapons. All of their current OP plans and naval strategies and physical assets are based around the cold war era of assuming the other side have only conventional / ballistic weapons and no stealth weapons.
Ask BD Popeye or Jeff Head. I am sure they have never heard of any contingency plan to counter enemy stealth offensive on CSG. I think this has only become a topic now after the unveiling of J-20 beginning of this year.
That made me think this "public unveiling" of J-20 is kinda premature. Had China not publicly unveil the J-20, Americans would probably never even imagine a stealth offensive from counter force and they would continue the same strategies and OP plans well into the future.
Just some things I'd like to add.
1. Even though I'm not sure how the DF-21D AShBM got into this, a U.S.N. CBG does have at least 2 Ticonderoga Class missile cruisers and 2 Arleigh Burke class Destroyers, HOWEVER, they do not carry a standard load of ABMs. Their VLS are modular, in that they allow multiple missiles of different classes to be carried (i.e. one Ticonderoga class can carry some Tomahawk missiles, some Harpoon missiles, some SM-2 missiles, etc). So that 260 missile number is actually the Maximum number of missiles for the DF-21 AShBM to overcome.
Another thing to add, is that you really don't need 260 missiles to shoot one DF-21 down. High-speed maneuvers do not make a missile easy to destroy but the thing about that DF-21D, i.e. what makes it so different, is that it's a Ballistic missile, and thus, out range many conventional AShM designs but also in that because it's Ballistic, it's trajectory allows a high-speed dive, Mach 10 I believe, or 3.4 km per second, which means that defense systems have less time to detect and destroy the Missile. The problem with the DF-21D also comes from the fact that it's a Ballistic missile. For one, high-speed sea skimmers like the Russian 3M54 Klub are had to detect by virtue of it's cruise height, some say as low as 3 meters above sea level. The DF-21D however, will end up at a relatively high altitude, which will allow almost every sensor in that CBG to detect it, and thus, engage and destroy it. Finally, the DF-21D is fast, but it's not beyond current ABM technologies. I am unsure of the maximum engage speed of the SM-3, but an inferior ABM system, the S-400 SAM from Russia, can engage missiles with speeds up to 4.8 km per second (almost Mach 14). So, the DF-21D is certainly an interesting AShM, but it won't clear the seas so to say. Now going back on topic.
Uh, I'm not sure about that conjecture regarding American defense circles, but many countries outside the U.S. has studied and experimented and sometimes, produced, Stealth-based technologies and prototypes. In a way, the U.S. is prepared for "Stealth offensive weapons", as the only anti-stealth, so to say, missile out there relies on Infrared seeking (Heat Seekers) technology, the simplest way to defeat that is of course, a flare. And yes, I can confirm that the F-22 does indeed emit a rather large heat signature, despite the reductions.
Uhm, I do believe you are confused. The Current U.S. operational plans revolve around Asymmetrical warfare, that's to say, we don't plan on engaging a competent opponent like Russia or China, but rather, folks like Pre-war Iraq, crap Army, non existent navy, and propaganda-pumped airforces. In a way, again, we are prepared for Anti-stealth warfare. The simplest way to counter Stealth is again, Infrared. Recent developments in the field of QWIP (Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector) by us, Europe, and Russia, has further advanced IR sighting technologies. Hell, we already have an IR ball equipped with QWIPs, something I haven't seen from Europe or Russia yet (check FLIR's website).
That made me think this "public unveiling" of J-20 is kinda premature. Had China not publicly unveil the J-20, Americans would probably never even imagine a stealth offensive from counter force and they would continue the same strategies and OP plans well into the future.
Measure and Countermeasure. This also gives a peak maybe, at China's plans. Unlike some warmongering folks I have read on other forums who have thought this same thought, perhaps China is not preparing for a total war with NATO. And they have perfectly fair reasons for not wanting a war. For one, nukes. For two, the economy. For three, is Taiwan or Tibet worth all those lives? Hell, this "public" revealing, and I put quotes on public as it's not like they pulled out the red carpet for the J-20, doesn't prove as much as some may think. Guys in the defense circle has already known for one, that U.S. stealth has been sold to China, for two, that China is a competent developer in Stealth techs, and for three, it's still a ways off, 4 years at best for production.
No such word as racialist. Its racist.