Hi Dylan, nice post and very interesting blog link about China’s sensor and missile capabilities.
What can be gauged from this is that China has a growing land based OTH and radar ocean reconnaissance satellite capability. However this information seems to still be conjecture from a blog, and as the author admits towards the end of his article “ OTH radar development in China is still a relatively blurry topic, with many details still left to be uncovered “.
One thing I did notice from reading these links was the influence of Russia in Chinese sensor development. As stated “It is possible that Russian assistance was sought when developing the currently deployed systems. A Russian OTH-SW system of unknown type has been located near Petropavlovsk, and appears remarkably similar to the Chinese OTH-SW system”. Also “Russian input may have been sought in developing the OTH-SW system, given the receiver's similarity to that of the Nakhodka OTH-SW system. The Russian system is likely the more capable of the two systems, however, given that the transmitter is not located in close proximity to the receiver suggesting a system of greater power output and therefore greater range”. Additionally “The operational systems are likely more powerful than either the prototype OTH-B or the Russian transportable IRIDA OTH-SW system and therefore are likely to have greater range capability than is depicted”, and in regards to the target the DF-21D’s target identification capability “it would be provided by Chinese-produced derivatives of Russia's Kornet EO and radar satellites, the first constellation of which is scheduled to be operational in 2009”. I touched on the influence of Russia earlier in this post and what I have read from your links seems to confirm China’s reliance on Russian technology to develop it aerospace and air defence capabilities.
Here’s another interesting blog about the guidance and aerodynamic control of the DF-21D.
http://forden.armscontrolwonk.com/ar...early-thoughts
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SS-NX-13 is an interesting story. Matt provides one interpretation,but I'd note another is that the system tested fine but was not seen as valuable enough to survive the arms control treaties of the 1970s - which limited all SSBNs regardless of range or purpose.
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One Soviet Navy Golf-IV was converted to carry six experimental SS-NX-13 missiles in the 1970’s. The interpretation that the SS-NX-13 or KY-9 was cancelled for political reasons as part of the arms control treaties in the 1970’s is plausible and a credible explanation for the weapon systems demise, although I would still favour Matt’s interpretation. I would also offer an alternative interpretation, the introduction of the Tu-22M strategic and naval strike bomber which entered Soviet Air Force and Navy service at about the same time as the development of the SS-NX-13. The Tu-22M with AS-4 (Kh-22) and AS-6 (KSR-5) missiles was a cheaper, more deployable and more effective way of challenging the US Navy and NATO at sea.