China sank the aircraft carrier strike group USS Gerald R. Ford with a salvo of 24 hypersonic missiles in a simulated engagement

The Chinese military ran a computer simulation of a battle against the US Navy. The simulation showed that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is capable of destroying the aircraft carrier strike group USS Gerald R. Ford.

Here's What We Know

In more than two dozen intense battles, Chinese forces sank the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group with a salvo of 24 hypersonic anti-ship missiles. According to the scenario, China attacks US ships after they approach an island in the South China Sea, which is claimed by the PRC. Interestingly, even the simulation notes that the Chinese military first issued "repeated warnings".

The simulation was carried out by a team from the North University of China, led by Cao Hongsong. He said the attack destroyed almost all the surface ships of the US fleet.

Previously, the US Navy's aircraft carrier strike group was believed to be unsinkable by conventional weapons. Now scientists say that a relatively small number of hypersonic missiles are enough to "reliably destroy" an enemy.

Two versions of hypersonic missiles with different parameters were used in the simulation. Some were launched from the Gobi Desert (at least 2,000 km from Taiwan). The strike was carried out in three waves to deceive enemy air defences.

Military planners use sophisticated simulations to assess different scenarios and develop strategies. However, they cannot be entirely relied upon. Experts warn that real-world missile capabilities may differ from what is shown in computer simulations because of terrain, weather and other unforeseen factors.

As for the strike aircraft carrier group, it includes six ships. In addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), these are the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS San-Jacinto and four Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyers in Flight IIA modification.

Source: scmp