Chinese military tested its mid-course anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system showing it performs reliably as a defense against missile attacks. The test done on June 19 took place within Chinese borders, said the Ministry of National Defense, per the Global Times.
China's ABM Gets More Reliable
The outlet said that this is the second ABM test done by the PLA since the first one in February 2021, at least six of these tests were done in total, reported The Eurasian Times.
More tests suggest China's anti-ballistic missile potential is more reliable, according to a Chinese military expert. Such trials assist China's national defense and security while acting as a preventative measure against nuclear blackmail.
According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, the test is defensive and not aimed at any particular country. It came days after the US military successfully completed a missile intercept test off the coast of Palau.
The US military did the live-fire exercise as the first done close to the Pacific Island nation. It was done to bolster the defense capabilities of the US in another location Palau, noted NHK.
As China's involvement in the Indo-Pacific expands, the US sees such deployments as an integral part of its regional security infrastructure.
Anti-Ballistic Missile System
When such a missile is launched, it enters three phases that include boost, midcourse, and the last part terminal phase.
The boost period starts immediately after the missile is launched and lasts till the missile's engines are exhausted. Its primary purpose is to help the missile enter space and establish a parabolic orbit around the Earth.
The next stage is the parabolic route to the mid-course stage, which takes the most time of the three stages. When the missile reaches its objective, that is the terminal phase as it re-enters the Earth and accelerates to the target for its destruction. It takes a short time from the terminal phase to contact the target.
Experts say that stopping an intercontinental ballistic missile in the mid-course is not easy. These missiles are equipped with multiple warheads at an arc outside the atmosphere flying at high speeds in this stage. Because of the great velocity of the downward missile, interception is also hard in the terminal phase.
Even so, the missile is still close to the ground and speeding up, and it is feasible to catch a ballistic missile during its boost phase.
China Develops Best Armaments
China is trying to develop unstoppable and advanced missiles to defend what it calls; its territory from the US, especially the Indo-Pacific.
The US does not want China to beat it where tensions are rising; Washington cannot accept that Beijing can get over them as they are locked in a power struggle. This launch comes amid rising regional tensions, as North Korea has recently conducted a series of missile tests, including short-range ballistic missiles and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
According to South Korean and US officials, increasing activity at North Korea's nuclear test site indicates the regime may perform its first nuclear test by 2017.
