As early as April 11, 2024, the United States officially deployed intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines in order to achieve coverage of China's southeast coast.
After the news was confirmed by various parties on April 15, the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong media outlet, published an article on the 18th of that month, saying that China had unveiled a new military technology and emphasized that the technology could be used in the South China Sea.
Related media coverage
New radar technology in China?
According to the South China Morning Post, the new technology is a radar technology. This technology can amplify the radar signal by 60,000 times, which can be said to be a technology specifically aimed at stealth fighters.
If it is deployed in the South China Sea, it will greatly enhance China's ability to control the South China Sea, and the United States' stealth fighters will have nothing to hide in the South China Sea.
Regarding this article in the "South China Morning Post", it can only be said that the "South China Morning Post" is worthy of being the most famous second-class media in Hong Kong, and it always likes to babble about this kind of highly professional things.
The radar technology reported by the South China Morning Post comes from a paper in the journal of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which is titled "An Optimal Resource Allocation Algorithm for Radar Networking System for Stealth Target Tracking".
Related Papers
For example, in the past, there were 100 radars that illuminated different directions, so it was difficult to detect stealth fighters.
Now these 100 radars are illuminating one direction, and the electromagnetic waves emitted by the 100 radars hit the stealth fighter, and the radar signal indication of the echo will be increased by 60,000 times, compared with the previous 100 radars "fighting separately", the probability of finding a stealth fighter can naturally be increased by 60,000 times.
The paper is beautifully described, however, but there are quite a few problems behind it.
For one, in signal processing, amplified signals often introduce noise as well. How do you deal with the echoes caused by 100 radars irradiating stealth fighters, which add up to create a considerable amount of noise?
Lei-hsien
Second, the 60,000 times of 0 is still 0, and if you want to make this 60,000 times meaningful, you must first find the "1".
Therefore, 100 radars go together to irradiate stealth fighters, theoretically hoping that the electromagnetic waves emitted by so many radars can touch the places where the stealth of the stealth fighter itself is insufficient.
But here's the problem, in order for several of these 100 radars to be able to find the stealth of the stealth fighter itself, the radar needs to be located in all directions of the fighter.
Let's assume that an American F-22 fighter is flying over Sichuan, China, then these 100 radars need to be in Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Henan, etc., in order to achieve the purpose of finding the place where the stealth of the fighter body is insufficient.
Lei-hsien
But if all 100 radars are in the direction of Chinese mainland, and the US F-22 flies from the direction of Guam, then it will be in a situation where all 100 radars are illuminating the front of the F-22 fighter.
Let's assume that the only lack of stealth on the F-22 fuselage is its engine tail nozzle, then all 100 radars illuminate the front of the F-22, and it is obvious that the F-22 fighter will not be able to detect it.
Therefore, the evaluation of this so-called "new technology" can only be said to be useful, but the effect is far less than that described by the "South China Morning Post" and other media.
F-22 fighter
Things on the paper are not necessarily practical
And most crucially, this new technology is still on paper. You can say anything about the thesis, as long as it is achievable in an ideal state.
However, if it can be achieved in an ideal state, it does not necessarily mean that it can be realized in reality, and this technology is practical.
For example, a scientist invented a liquid.
This liquid can completely kill cancer cells by soaking them for a few minutes, so the media can publicize that mankind has defeated cancer because scientists have invented this "panacea".
cancer cell
But in reality, this panacea can kill people at the same time as it kills cancer cells, because this liquid is a very common substance in our lives, which is boiling water at 100°C.
The scientist published an article in a journal "On the Effect of Temperature on the Growth of Cancer Cells", and the "panacea" it invented is also true, because this liquid can really kill cancer cells.
However, this so-called technology is completely unpractical and cannot be applied to clinical medicine.
Therefore, this paper in the journal of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is theoretically feasible, but it is difficult to say whether it can play a role in practice and whether it has practical value.
Lei-hsien
How does China deal with U.S. behavior?
In addition, the deployment of medium-range missiles by the United States in the Philippines and the deployment of radar in the South China Sea by China will not affect the behavior of the United States.
Radar is a reconnaissance system, not a strike system, and if you don't have an appropriate means of attack, no matter how many radars are deployed in the South China Sea, it is useless.
There are only two ways for China to solve this problem, one is to include the radar positions deployed by the United States in the Philippines into its strike range, and the other is to reciprocal deterrence.
On the first point, China has already done it. At present, China has medium-range missiles such as Dongfeng-21 and Dongfeng-26, and the maximum range of Dongfeng-21 can reach 3,000 kilometers, while that of Dongfeng-26 can exceed 4,000 kilometers.
Dongfeng-26 missile
The Philippines is between hundreds of kilometers and 2,000 kilometers away from China, and the northernmost island of the Philippines, Luzon, is about 600 kilometers away from China.
Therefore, when the Philippine medium-range missiles can hit China's coastal areas, China's medium-range missiles have already included the whole of the Philippines in the strike range.
And the Dongfeng missile, as a ballistic missile, has a flight speed of more than Mach 10. The Typhon missile system deployed by the United States in the Philippines is a set of cruise missiles that fly at a speed of about Mach 0.9.
Therefore, China and the United States conduct missile deterrence against each other, and China is completely capable of killing the other side if the United States shoots first.
Dongfeng missile launch
As for reciprocal deterrence, China could communicate with Cuba and deploy intermediate-range missiles in Cuban areas if necessary. Now that the United States has deployed medium-range missiles in the South China Sea, China can naturally "return the favor to the other."
Judging from China's current statement, the mainland does have ideas in this regard.
At the same time that the United States was deploying intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines, China also met with Rojo, director of the Political Department of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, and promised to help Cuba build up its army.
Director of the Political Department of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, Rojo
Therefore, if the United States makes more excessive moves in the Philippines in the future, China may also make some moves in Cuba.
Resources:
[1] Upstream News • "At the Important Meeting Scene, He Weidong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Special Mentioned This"
[2] Global Network, "The United States Has Deployed the "Typhon" Intermediate-Range Missile Launch System on Luzon Island in the Philippines, China: Serious Concern"