The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is focusing on developing a new generation of precision guided cruise missiles to thwart U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) patrols in the South China Sea that China expects will continue in the years ahead.

These new missiles will also prevent U.S. Navy aircraft carriers from approaching China's coast, a deterrent that will greatly restrict the combat capability of the U.S. Navy, claims Li Jie, a leading researcher at the People's Liberation Army Navy Naval Military Studies Research Institute.

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He's also a retired Senior Captain of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The institute is PLAN's think tank.

Li said China has enhanced the capability of its Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) system so the U.S. can't take reckless military action. He believes the U.S. is very worried about anti-ship missiles, strategic bombers and other weapons that might severely challenge its FONOPs and overflights of coastal waters of other countries.

Against the threat brought on by China's long-range anti-ship missiles and precision-guided weapons, there are concerns U.S. aircraft carriers might not perform in future operational environments, said Li.

Li is also confident the DF-10 ground based land-attack cruise missile; the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile and the DF-26 intermediate range ballistic missile and other weapons paraded at last year's V-Day parade in Beijing will keep the U.S. Navy at bay.

The maximum range of the DF-26 is 4,000 km while the distance from the Chinese mainland coast to Guam is only 2,800 km. Li said Guam is within the range of Chinese missiles, and this is the biggest concern of the U.S.

He noted there are some experts that want faster and more flexible small aircraft carriers to replace heavy and inflexible large aircraft carriers to better avoid enemy fire. Unmanned aerial vehicles can also land on small aircraft carriers.

There is also the notion of equipping aircraft carriers with more radar technology and surface-to-air missiles. Li said there some that worry aircraft carriers will be out of date in the future.

The U.S. Navy, however, is confident their aircraft carriers' force projection capability and fighter jets are a decisive military advantage compared to the rest of the world.

TagsPeople's Liberation Army, Freedom of navigation patrols, FONOPS, US Navy, People's Liberation Army Navy, Li Jie