Satellites and Missile Accuracy

We were just debating the accuracy of China's missiles the other day, when Defense News reported on how the Chinese are using satellite guidance to improve their capabilities:

Beijing-based China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp. (CPMIEC) has revealed new details of its P12 short-range tactical surface-to-surface missile at IDEX 2007.

Launched vertically from trucks, the solid-propellant P12 can carry a 450-kilogram cluster or high-explosive warhead up to 150 kilometers, company officials said. The missile has a circular error probable (CEP) of 80 to 120 meters on inertial guidance alone, 30 to 50 meters when incorporating satellite guidance, they said.

“The Chinese improved the guidance system of the SSM [surface-to-surface missile] with GPS or using the Russian GLOSNASS,” the Russian equivalent to the U.S. Global Positioning System, said Andrei Chang, founder of the Hong Kong-based Kanwa Defense Review. “The Chinese may also be using the GPS and GLOSNASS guidance technologies to improve the PLA version of short-range SSMs like DF-11 and DF-15 aimed at Taiwan.

Think we'll see the State Department conducting a formal press conference to condemn the more accurate Chinese missile technology? What a stupid question...

Meanwhile Taiwan is also importing advanced information tech for its battlefield management systems.

[Taiwan] [US] [China] (hat tip to Wandering to Tamshui)