US, China's race for naval dominance to intensify as both push to expand weapons: Report

World's two superpowers China and US have been at loggerhes due to tre war followed by dely Coronavirus pandemic which affected US most with maximum number of cases and fatalities as compared to any or country. 

Both countries have been ramping up ir defence capabilities and race between two is only intensified as US is planning to equip its destroyers and submarines with hypersonic missiles, as per a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report citing analysts. According to SCMP, if US Navy equips hypersonic missiles on its destroyers, it will outperform China's supersonic anti-ship missiles.

decision by US to install hypersonic missile systems comes after US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said that  US Navy would require more than 500 ships in its fleet to ensure maritime superiority over China in coming deces.

SCMP has reported that US is mounting hypersonic systems to counter threat posed by China in Pacific region. However, China is also ding a wide array of weapons such as anti-ship ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to counter American warships.

A report from US Congressional Research Service released last month called Chinese Navy a formidable force in waters near Chinese borders. It was first such challenge US Navy h faced since end of Cold War, report said.

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What do experts say? 

US Security expert Timothy Heath have opined that current anti-ship missiles launched from US Navy destroyers can reach perhaps 300km to 560km. hypersonic missile would dramatically increase range to hundreds or perhaps thousands of miles and it would also be extremely difficult to shoot down with anti-missile systems, due to speed of warhe, security experts have contended.

Heath said that currently if US ships tried to get close eugh to China, y could be sunk by Chinese land-based anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles. But with deployment of hypersonic missiles,  US ships if engd in a battle with China, would be able to target Chinese ships that operate close to China's coast under protection of its counter-intervention capabilities.

Hong Kong-based military expert Song Zhongping also seconded Heath by saying that Chinese ships would face a big threat if US Navy gets equipped with hypersonic weapons. To counter threat, he said China has alrey taken measures like equipping 730 close-in weapon systems and supersonic variants of YJ-18 cruise missiles to various naval vessels, improving surface-to-air missiles to intercept incoming targets.

(With ANI inputs)

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