China will be ready to launch the Gaofen-4 satellite into space, which will be capable of tracking down every single US aircraft carrier around the globe, before the end of 2015, reports the China Youth Daily.
During the Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996, in which China fired missile tests in the Taiwan Strait and drew the response of the US Navy, the PLA realized that its mission to “liberate” Taiwan could never work without defeating US aircraft carriers.
Since then, China has spent nearly 20 years preparing for confrontation with a US aircraft carrier. In addition to purchasing Sovremenny-class destroyers, Kilo-class submarines as well as Su-30 fighter bombers from Russia, the PLA developed new types of anti-ship ballistic missiles, such as the DF-21D and DF-26, to destroy large American warships in battle. Both missiles were demonstrated to the public for the first time during the military parade held on Sept. 3 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of V-J Day.
Full article: China’s GF-4 satellite can be used to monitor US carriers (Want China Times)
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