According to a military analyst, China likely has cruise missiles installed in containers for use as surprise attacks during wartime.
Rick Fisher, of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, believes Beijing could use the system to weaponise its huge fleet of commercial shipping vessels or else sneak the missiles into foreign ports before launching them remotely.
According to Mr Fisher, these attacks can be used to destroy coastal defenses or create chaos to distract from China’s attack elsewhere.
China might be building a cruise missile-launch system for surprise attack use inside a shipping container.
Chinese technology is believed to have been inspired by Club-K, a Russian design concept that was originally shown at a 2016 military design fair (pictured).
In 2019, Mr Fisher was the first to raise the alarm. He warned China that it would likely develop the system based upon a concept similar to one developed by Russia’s defence company back in 2016.
A newly-published paper by the Stockton Center for International Law talks about a Chinese container system, saying: ‘Once perfected, it will provide China with a long-range precision strike capability that can engage both surface combatants and land-based targets.’
After the paper was published, Fisher stated to The Sun that “The Chinese Communist Party can use containerized missiles for chaos when it wants.”
He added that terrorist attacks would involve ‘using larger containers ships, thousands fishing ships and stored containers in port ports, in order to engage in military or terror missions strikes in an approach that cannot be denied if required’.
Club-K is a Russian launchpad for Kaliber cruise missiles. Up to four can be fitted into a container with launch controls and targeting system.
China’s own cruise missile, the YJ-18 – is based off the Russian Kaliber. Some analysts believe Beijing might be developing a comparable system.
Chinese defense company produced the shipping container concept. It was shown at an air defense exposition in 2016.
A Chinese defence company showed off a similar container concept at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai in 2016.
Israel is known to possess container missile technology, after state-owned defence firm Israel Aerospace Industries successfully test-fired its LORA system from the deck of a container ship back in 2017.
North Korea demonstrated an operational container-launcher system earlier this year after it fired two ballistic missiles off the back of a train.
The Container System has been the focus of renewed attention in the context of a global arms race between Russia, China, and the US amid concerns that the superpowers may be heading towards war.
Tensions are high between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan. Xi Jinping has vowed that Taiwan will’reunify” with the Chinese mainland – using force if necessary – while Joe Biden has vowed his support.
China is threatening the country and its government by mounting military threats. This includes flying hundreds of bombers and aircraft near China’s airspace in the space of just three days.
After a 2017 test by a defense company owned by Israel, Israel has been known to have shipping container launchers.
North Korea also demonstrated a container-based launch platform for its ballistic weapons, which was fired earlier in the year from the rear of a train.
Beijing is also using its growing navy to move its weight around the South China Sea (to the south of Taiwan) and in the Sea of Japan (to the north).
The US responded by forging new alliances in Japan, India and Australia with the UK. These were the Quad and AUKUS, which are meant to provide a counterbalance to China’s power in the area.
Beijing has responded furiously and denounced what it called a “Cold War-era” mentality, as well as ‘anti China’ sentiment to the pacts.
In the East, Russia and the USA are fighting over Ukraine. Washington warns that Moscow may be planning an invasion.
A US intelligence report warned that Putin would be ready to launch an attack on the country with 175,000 troops plus tanks, artillery and mortars within weeks.
Biden and Putin have a call scheduled today in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Putin denied any invasion plans but instead demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO.