If you thought Iran’s attack was great, wait until you see what China can do

Experts warn that China’s military power could surpass the Iranian attack by several times – see what this means for global security

Iran launched a significant missile attack on Israel earlier this week, apparently aiming to overwhelm Israeli air defenses and cause significant damage.

Although the Iranian attack was massive—possibly the largest ballistic missile attack on record—it is only a fraction of the impact of a Chinese missile attack, which would be much more difficult to neutralize.

China’s missile force is a central concern for the US military, which views China as its main strategic challenge. The Defense Department has seen a rapid expansion of the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force, China’s missile unit.

Between 2021 and 2022, China has practically doubled its stockpile of ballistic missiles and launchers, especially medium- and long-range missiles, posing a growing threat to US forces and their allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the event of conflict — a scenario that, although not considered imminent, is seen as a growing possibility — US military bases and assets in the region could face bombing on a scale never seen before. Should a war between China and the US occur, perhaps due to an invasion of Taiwan or another dispute, the US could be hit by a massive attack using China’s extensive ballistic missile arsenal.

Experts say that compared to Iran’s recent attack on Israel, a missile attack from China would be significantly more lethal and of much greater proportions.

Although Iran has conducted two major missile attacks in a single day this year, analysts believe China would be capable of carrying out something much more devastating given its superiority in missile technology.

The Iranian attack, which took place on Tuesday and included more than 180 ballistic missiles, was a response to the deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh. The focus of the missiles appeared to be Israeli military and government targets.

US and Israeli officials said the attack was ineffective, with most of the missiles being intercepted by air defenses. Some failures and route deviations were recorded, but without major consequences. American forces in the region, including the destroyers USS Cole and USS Bulkeley, also shot down Iranian missiles.

Despite the recent success of Israel’s air defenses, experts warn that a Chinese attack would be of a much greater magnitude, with more sophisticated missiles and a greater ability to bypass defenses, making the response much more difficult.

China has a highly advanced arsenal of ballistic missiles, such as the DF-21 and DF-26 models, and the DF-17 hypersonic missile, which are capable of hitting naval targets and American bases in the region. Furthermore, China prioritizes surprise, which would make defense even more difficult.

The US and its allies in the Pacific maintain defenses such as the Patriot batteries and the Aegis system, but more is likely to be needed to deal with the growing threat from China. The US-Japan partnership aims to develop anti-missile defenses that can intercept hypersonic weapons, but the challenges that a possible conflict with China presents continue to grow.