This “new missile” of China’s should be the “assassin’s mace” of the PLA which was hotly discussed in the late 1990s and the early 21st century among the Asian security experts in the U.S.
By the way, the term “assassin’s mace” is a misinterpretation of the Chinese term “shashoujian” (殺手鐧).A better translation is “the fatal mace” as “shashou” refers to the characteristic -- “killing” -- of the weapon rather than the user -- “killer” -- of the weapon. In a similar vein, “qishou” means “the initial” in “qishoushi” (起手式: the initial posture in certain style of the martial art) rather than the “beginner”.
“東風21-D”, 這項流傳十數年的解放軍武器, 應該就是台海危機之後解放軍宣稱在發展的 “殺手鐧”。這篇時代雜誌2014年7月的報導呈顯了美國國防界的重視、也反映了他們的不安。
報導所未提的是:“東風21-D”及其配屬的各種彈頭 (油氣彈、子母彈、穿甲彈等等)構成全世界至今唯一的”反鑑彈導飛彈”。目前,其他的反艦導彈 並非”彈導飛彈”,也無此長距離的射程,更無此攜帶多彈頭的能力,更無此多樣化的彈頭選擇。
在此,我更要感念已離去的好友,廖文中先生。是他最早告訴我,解放軍在發展各式各樣專打航空母艦的彈頭。他是我提供給2007年1月14日國防新聞資訊的來源。可惜國防新聞記者並未依我原稿把廖老師大名登出。 (Wendell Minnick, "China Develop Anti-ship Ballistic Missiles” Defense News January 14, 2007 p.12)。那時西方專家還沒人注意此發展。