REPORT: China Engages “Missile Lock” on US Aircraft Carrier in Philippines Sea – Pentagon Denies

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REPORT: China Engages “Missile Lock” on US Aircraft Carrier in Philippines Sea – Pentagon Denies

The Pentagon is now DENYING (6-24-16) Chinese “fire control radar” achieved “Missile Lock” upon the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis for four minutes in the Philippines Sea on Wednesday, sending the vessel to Battle Stations. No missiles were fired, but the ship remained at General Quarters (Battle Stations) for a considerable amount of time after the incident.

The Stennis and its battle group were deployed recently to the Philippines Sea along with the USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group, as tensions in the South China Sea escalate over China’s creation of man-made islands in that region.

The Spratley Islands are tiny islets about eight hundred miles off the coast of mainland China. China claims the islets, but there are competing claims by other nations in the area as shown in the graphic below:

A little over a year ago, China sent dredging equipment to the islets and began adding land to them, then building air strips and military bases on the newly dredged land. This has caused consternation among the nations in the area for several reasons. Primarily, the world is concerned because about $6 TRILLION in shipping takes place through that region. Allowing China to build artificial islands, then use those islands to claim 200 mile territorial jurisdiction, is not something the world has ever seen before; and many folks are very uncomfortable about. If China is in a position to affect the $6 Trillion in commerce, that would give it enormous leverage to push others around under threat of halting commerce.

Consequently, the US has been engaged in “freedom of navigation maneuvers”using both ships and planes, to make clear the United States does not — and will not – recognize these artificial islands as legitimate Chinese territory. The Chinese have not reacted well to those freedom of navigation maneuvers, and on more than one occasion, has cautioned the US that such planes and ships may be fired upon as China asserts sovereignty. Yesterday, China apparently took a step in that direction, by achieving missile lock upon a US aircraft carrier.

China has land-based “Sunburn” anti-ship missiles. These missiles travel at hyper-sonic speeds and there are questions as to whether or not US Naval Defense systems could engage those missiles in time to stop them. If multiple Sunburn missiles were fired at a US aircraft carrier, with one or more actually striking the ship, it “could” sink the vessel, and all 5,000 or so sailors and marines aboard. The graphic below shows a Sunburn missile hitting a large Naval Vessel during a test of the missile; it literally tears right through the entire ship:……More Here

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REPORT: China Engages “Missile Lock” on US Aircraft Carrier in Philippines Sea – Pentagon Denies