China Wants Missile Defenses To Stop India (And Kill Satellites)
India conducted a successful test of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a nuclear-capable Agni-5, on Thursday, underscoring a potential threat to China as well as Pakistan.
China is also within range of nuclear-armed North Korean missiles and Japan is mullingwhether it should develop similar capabilities. But there has been surprisingly little focus on Chinese efforts to develop a missile defense against these threats.
Bruce W. MacDonald, a top US missile defense expert, says it’s likely that China is stepping up efforts to deploy a strategic missile defense system with a limited number of interceptors in the next few years. He notes that India’s growing nuclear ICBM capability is a larger motivating factor than any threats posed by North Korean, Japanese or US missiles.
