The recent successful test of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA interceptor missile, the most advanced interceptor in the AEGIS Missile Defense System aboard U.S. Navy warships, was pooh-poohed by a Chinese analyst are irrelevant since this missile can't intercept Chinese ballistic missiles.

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Without explaining the technical reasons for his dismissing the effectiveness of the Block IIA interceptor, missile analyst Yang Chengjun insisted "the SM-3 system couldn't intercept any Chinese missiles in real battle."

Yang also noted that once the upgrade and deployment of the SM-3 system is completed, it will encourage Japanese militarism and threaten the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

Other analysts believe the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor and the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to be deployed to South Korea in May, will imprison China inside a U.S. missile ring and "threaten the security of the Asia-Pacific region (read China) as a whole."

The main threat to China isn't the missiles in these two systems but their powerful radars that can immediately detect the launch of any Chinese ballistic missile and provide U.S. forces in Asia or the U.S. mainland with the real time data they need to intercept and destroy these missiles.

The recent test off Hawaii of the Block IIA interceptor last Feb. 4 proves to China that its ballistic missiles are vulnerable to U.S. countermeasures.

SM-3 Block IIA is the latest variant of the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), a ship-based missile system used by the Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). It can intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) as a part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

SM-3 is primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile missile but was successfully employed as an anti-satellite weapon once before.

The SM-3 Block IIA interceptor is designed to defeat short-range ballistic missiles and IRBMs. It can be launched from Aegis-equipped warships or Aegis Ashore sites such as the one in Romania.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA); Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the U.S. Navy conducted the missile's flight test on Feb. 3.

TagsStandard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA interceptor missile, AEGIS Missile Defense System, U.S. Navy, Japan, Yang Chengjun, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, MERS south korea