The Diplomat:
Within the space of a week, the United States and China have tested similar ballistic missile defense systems.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, with little publicity, tested a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA variant interceptor at the end of January. The test reportedly failed – the second failure of that interceptor type in a year.
Days later, China reportedly test fired a Dong Neng-3 (DN-3) interceptor from its Korla test site, intercepting a Dong Feng-21 missile over Chinese territory successfully. The Chinese test also came shortly after India carried out the fifth known test of its Agni-V intermediate-range ballistic missile.
China’s indigenous ballistic missile defense capabilities are advancing at breakneck speed.
The fundamental technology Beijing has repeatedly showed with systems like the DN-3 is similar to what the U.S. is endeavouring to accomplish with the SM-3 as well as other systems.
Both are so-called ‘hit-to-kill’ systems. They use sheer physical force to collide with and annihilate their targets instead of any explosives. It is far from a simple task, hence the commonly heard comparisons of this form of missile defense with the challenge of hitting one bullet with another.
Beyond their similarities as ‘hit-to-kill’ systems, the SM-3 and the DN-3 are designed to destroy targets outside of the earth’s atmosphere. For a ballistic missile target, both missiles are designed to destroy targets during the so-called mid-course phase of flight. After its engines have burned out, the separated re-entry vehicle is on a ballistic trajectory toward its target…
