The Mystery of Ephraim

“The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle” Psalm 78:9

Bob Woodward: Trump Doesn’t Seem To Know “What Is Real And What Is Unreal.”

Zero Hedge: Trump proposed sales to Taiwan as summarised below:

Here’s Taiwan’s shopping list, in various phases of passing US legal hurdles and discussions, according to the new Reuters report:

• Drones that can see over the horizon for surveillance and targeting, coupled with advanced missiles and coastal defenses that include smart mines and anti-submarine capabilities to impede a sea invasion…
• A Lockheed Martin-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), essentially a truck-based rocket launcher, is among the weapons Taiwan wants, people familiar with the negotiations said.
• at least four large sophisticated aerial drones to Taiwan for what could be about $600 million.
• under discussion are land-based Boeing-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles to serve as a coastal defense against cruise missiles.
• Other systems include “underwater sea mines and other capabilities to deter amphibious landing, or immediate attack,” Taiwan’s de facto ambassador here to United States said in July.

“Those who play with fire will get burnt.” China issues warning and holds military drills as US official visits Taiwan. As always, Xi Jinping will response in kind as this seriously breached the one-China principle and the three joint communiqués. And what if China response by sending a few dozens (or hundreds) of the following missiles to Iran, Venezuela, Yemen, Syria (and Cuba)? This put all the US Navy’s 21 aircraft carriers (among these are 11 large nuclear-powered fleet carriers, each with about 5,000 – 6,000 sailors) at risk all over the world.

1. DF-21D: This is an anti-ship ballistic missile that has a maximum range exceeding 1,450 kilometres (900 mi; 780 nmi), according to the US National Air and Space Intelligence Center. The Intelligence Center did not believe it was deployed in 2009. The guidance system is thought to be still in an evolutionary process as more UAVs and satellites are added.

2. DF-26: This anti-ship missile has a range of 4,000 km (2,500 mi) and may conduct precision nuclear or conventional strikes against ground and naval targets. It is China’s first conventionally-armed ballistic missile capable of reaching Guam and the American military installations located there; this has led to the missile being referred to by netizens as the “Guam Express” or “Guam Killer.”

Both DF-21D and DF-26 are “carrier killer” missiles which can hit moving US aircraft carriers at a range of up to 1,500 km (932 miles) for the DF-21D and 4,000 km (2,500 miles) for the DF-26. Just imagine an undisclosed number of these are patrolled along the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea (and the Gulf of Mexico)?

3. Hongqi 9 air defense missiles: The HQ-9 is a medium- to long-range, active radar homing surface-to-air missile.

Similar in capability to the Russian S-300 and American Patriot systems, the HQ-9 uses a HT-233 PESA radar system. The naval variant, HHQ-9 appears to be identical to the land-based variant. HHQ-9 is equipped in the PLAN Type 052C Lanzhou class destroyer in VLS launch tubes.

“The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet” Isaiah 28:3

~ by Joel Huan on September 18, 2020.

Posted in China, Trump, US