China has developed and is about to deploy medium-range missiles that can hit U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, according to a report in The Washington Times.
The Department of Defense is following the Chinese program closely, with missile tests imminent.
With Chinese development of the precision-guided CSS-5 anti-ship missile, and possible development of two more new medium-range anti-ship missiles, the U.S. Navy could be held at bay while China invaded Taiwan, as it has threatened to do. In contrast, in the 1990s, President Clinton safely sent carrier groups into the Taiwan Strait when China began firing missiles toward Taiwan.
One of the new missile classes may have a maneuvering warhead, making it especially difficult for U.S. forces to defend against it, especially at close range.
Worse, China might proliferate the anti-ship missiles to rogue nations.