A low-visibility force multiplier
Subtitle: assessing China's cruise missile ambitions
By: Dennis M. Gormley, Andrew S. Erickson, and Jingdong Yuan
Contributors: Erickson, Andrew S., author; Yuan, Jingdong, author; Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs (National Defense University)
Publisher: National Defense University Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 165
Subjects: Cruise missiles; Military planning; Military policy
Other titles: Assessing China's cruise missile ambitions
Description: China's military modernization is focused on building modern ground, naval, air, and missile forces capable of fighting and winning local wars under informationized conditions. The principal planning scenario has been a military campaign against Taiwan, which would require the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to deter or defeat U.S. intervention. The PLA has sought to acquire asymmetric "assassin's mace" technologies and systems to overcome a superior adversary and couple them to the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems necessary for swift and precise execution of short-duration, high-intensity wars. A key element of the PLA's investment in antiaccess/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities is the development and deployment of large numbers of highly accurate antiship cruise missiles (ASCMs) and land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) on a range of ground, air, and naval platforms. China's growing arsenal of cruise missiles and the delivery platforms and C4ISR systems necessary to employ them pose new defense and nonproliferation challenges for the United States and its regional partners. This study surveys People's Republic of China (PRC) ASCM and LACM programs and their implications for broader PLA capabilities, especially in a Taiwan scenario.
Notes: "First printing, April 2014."

Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Executive summary.; title: Introduction and overview: China's cruise missiles as a stealthy "assassin's mace".; title: Institutional and organizational actors in China's cruise missile programs.; title: Characteristics and capabilities of China's antiship cruise missiles.; title: Origin, characteristics and capabilities of China's land-attack cruise missiles.; title: Cruise missile platforms.; title: Cruise missile employment doctrine and training.; title: Emerging roles and capabilities of cruise missiles to contribute to a Taiwan campaign.; title: Assessment of China's potential to proliferate cruise missiles and related technology.; title: Conclusion.; title: Appendixes.; title: Notes.