Clarity vs Ambiguity: China’s Carrier Killing Ballistic Missile
China’s anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBP), known as the “carrier killer,” is close to operational, said the commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard, in Tokyo recently. While US aircraft carriers appear more active in China’s offshore waters, concern over China’s ASBP is rising in the West.
China has never pursued a policy of confrontation with other world powers, including the US. However, it does need a strategic deterrence. In a bid to protect its own strategic interests, China should not only build its anti-ship missile capacity, but also possess a range of other carrier-destroying measures as well.