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| Chinese DF-21D Carrier Killer Ballistic Missile |
A hypothetical war between China and Japan started by Beijing would involve devastating cyberattacks, missile barrages and secret weapon DF-21D "carrier killer" missiles, according to a scenario outlined by defense and security blogger Kyle Mizokami in US magazine The National Interest.
In the article, Mizokami refutes the suggestion that war is likely or imminent, but notes that given tensions in the East China Sea stemming from the ongoing territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) islands, it is not unforeseeable that a minor incident between the two sides could spiral out of control and spark an all-out war that would likely involve US intervention.
In such a scenario, Beijing would likely strike first. While China has not seriously prepared for a war against Japan, the People's Liberation Army should have sufficiently analyzed Japan's strengths and weaknesses to draw up a plan of attack on short notice. Mizokami envisions such a strategy to start off with a surprise attack from with PLA's Second Artillery Corp using a "barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles" to "degrade Japan's ability to defend itself."
Read the full story at Want China Times