China is Arming its Stealthy New Destroyer with Missile Defense

Video Above: Air Force New B61 Mod 12 Nuclear Bomb Hits Targets in Testing

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

The Chinese Navy may soon for the first time operate with a forward-deployed, ship-integrated ballistic missile defense system designed to bring new layers of protection from the ocean. 

Ballistic Missile Defense System Type-055 Destroyer

The Pentagon’s 2021 China report says the country plans to deploy a mobile, maritime ballistic missile defense system on board its new Type-055 stealthy destroyer.

Should this come to fruition, the People’s Liberation Army – Navy would take a huge step toward rivaling, challenging or maybe even matching the U.S. ship-based Aegis System for ballistic missile defense.

Ship-based BMD of course introduces new layers and new angles of protection and defensive countermeasures by being mobile at sea. Ship commanders can pick locations of great strategic import which increases the likelihood of intercepting an attacking ballistic missile.

“The PRC is working to develop BMD systems consisting of exo-atmospheric and endoatmospheric kinetic-energy interceptors. PRC state media confirmed the PLA’s intent to move ahead with land- and sea-based midcourse missile defense capabilities,” DoD’s 2021 “Report on Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China” states.