http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JIW/is_4_63/ai_n56222071/?tag=content;col1
China's "antiaccess" ballistic missiles and U.S. active defense
Naval War College Review, Autumn, 2010 by Marshall Hoyler
Relations between Taiwan and China have improved recently. At the same time, U.S.-Japanese relations have worsened, partly as the result of disagreements over Futenma Marine Air Station on Okinawa. As a result, the prospects of fighting between the United States and China over Taiwan and of U.S. reliance on Okinawa bases to supplement carrier airpower in the course of such a fight appear far-fetched, disastrous for the states concerned.
Of course, military professionals and the defense analytic community need to think through unlikely and unwelcome scenarios. (1) To that end, various analysts have contributed to a lively discussion of Chinese "antiaccess" systems designed to keep the United States at bay in the event of conflict. (2) These systems include C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) assets like over-the-horizon (OTH) radar and increasing numbers of satellites, a more modern air force, more submarines with better weapons, and both cruise and ballistic missiles to hold at risk our ships at sea and our air bases ashore. (3) This article examines ballistic missile threats to carriers and air bases and the adequacy of U.S. active defenses.
