Experts have warned that
China is advancing rapidly with anti-ship ballistic missile technology and sophisticated tracking capabilities that could put
British aircraft carriers at greater risk.
Beijing has developed both intermediate and long-range ballistic “carrier killer” missiles and is thought to have conducted a test of at least one variant in the South China Sea in the past six months.
Improvements in China’s surveillance and reconnaissance capability – spanning satellites, drones and aircraft – also mean its ability to hit a moving target on water is strengthening, according to analysts.
The developments are likely to fuel concerns about the vulnerability of Britain’s two aircraft carriers in parts of the Pacific in the immediate term and further afield in future. There are fears other countries could also adopt the technology.
Beijing is thought to have recently tested on a moving target at sea the intermediate-range Dong Feng 21D anti-ship ballistic missile, which can travel a distance of 1,500km (932 miles). There has also been speculation that an even longer-range Chinese anti-ship variant of a ballistic missile called the Dong Feng 26, which has a reported range of 3,500km (2,175 miles), has been tested.