China has showcased the Dongfeng 21D, otherwise known as assassin's mace or carrier killer, at a military parade held in Beijing in honor of the 70th anniversary of World War II. Organizers went all out for the demonstration, headlining about 200 planes as well as 500 rocket launchers, missiles, troop carriers and tanks. With over 12,000 troops present, everything went successfully.
President Xi Jinping also announced a surprising piece of news at the event, saying that the Chinese military will cut down its number of soldiers to about 300,000. But this is not so much as a sign of weakness than it is a sign of progress.
Getting back to the Dongfeng 21D, military experts speculate that the missile has a range of 1,000 miles and can travel up to 10 times faster than the speed of sound, which means it's nearly impossible to intercept. What makes the Dongfeng 21D so impressive is that it's launched into orbit, and when it returns to the Earth's atmosphere, it can then be navigated to hit a target at hypersonic speeds. Also, it is cheap to make, with the price of one aircraft carrier enough to manufacture about 1,200 missiles.
According to analysts, China will have invested twice as much in defense by 2020 compared to the budget used in 2010.
"In 2010, China spent an estimated $134 billion on defence. By 2020, that figure is forecast to almost double to $260 billion. Across this decade, China is expected to spend almost $2 trillion on defence," stated the news release.
The Dongfeng 21D is China's game changer, threatening to take the United States' maritime supremacy. Invading forces will now have to think twice before deploying aircraft carriers against China.
President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the United States to meet President Obama in Washington, D.C. Could the parade be a message to the United States?
