On land and sea, China’s nuclear capability growing

Earlier this month, a minor Chinese environmental office broke some of the biggest news in nuclear missile technology since the end of the Cold War.

 

The Shaanxi Province Environmental Monitoring Center posted a work summary of its projects, which included site monitoring for research into the Dong Feng-41 missile. The Department of Defense told Congress earlier this year that China was developing the DF-41, a road-mobile, next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile capable of launching multiple nuclear warheads.

 

The missile had been conceptualized for years, well before China’s military modernization of the past decade began. However, no Chinese governmental agency was willing to confirm its development until the provincial environmental office’s website did so. The post was quickly taken down, but only after it had been reported by the China Communist Party-affiliated Global Times.

 

The DF-41 news comes amid reports that China also conducted tests this month of its current land-based missile standard, the DF-31A.

 

U.S. officials also expect China to have operational nuclear missile-equipped submarines this year. The HK-6 bomber, a nuclear-capable aircraft with a range of about 2,000 miles, became part of the Chinese arsenal last year.

 

Collectively, it represents a nuclear triad, the decades-old standard that the United States still counts on for surviving a global nuclear war.

 

The Chinese triad remains heavily imbalanced in favor of land-based missiles, since its aircraft can’t fly very far and its submarines may not be all that reliable, according to analysts.

 

However, the bigger question remains: Why is China, a country with a “no first-use” policy, upgrading its nuclear arsenal at a time when the United States and Russia are reducing their stockpiles?

India to Unveil First Warship to Deter Chinese Submarines

India will unveil its first home-built anti-submarine warship tomorrow in a move to deter China from conducting underwater patrols near its shores.

 

Defense Minister Arun Jaitley will commission the 3,300-ton INS Kamorta at the southeastern Vishakapatnam port. The move comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the largest indigenously built guided-missile destroyer and vowed to bolster the country’s defenses so “no one dares to cast an evil glance at India.”

 

India is playing catch-up to China, which built 20 such warships in the past two years and sent a nuclear submarine to the Indian Ocean in December for a two-month anti-piracy patrol. The waters are home to shipping lanes carrying about 80 percent of the world’s seaborne oil, mostly headed to China and Japan.

 

“As China grows into a naval, maritime power, it will be more and more active in the Indian Ocean,” Taylor Fravel, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies China’s ties with its neighbors, said by phone. “Of course, it will not be due to some hostility or targeted at India, but because of its economic interests in the Indian Ocean, as a lot of trade passes through. Such a presence will certainly raise questions in India, but it need not necessarily be a cause of major conflict.”

 

 

Warship Plans

 

India has lacked anti-submarine corvettes in its 135-warship fleet for more than a decade now, with the decommissioning of the last of the 10-ship Petya-class of 1960s-vintage Soviet corvettes in December 2003. It plans to build 42 more warships, including three more anti-submarine corvettes, over the next decade, according to Rear Admiral A.B. Singh, an Indian navy official.

 

About 90 percent of Kamorta’s components are local, with the hull developed by Steel Authority of India Ltd., medium-range guns by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. and torpedo launchers by Larsen & Toubro Ltd, India’s largest engineering company. The ship is two years behind schedule, according to Commodore B.B. Nagpal, the navy’s principal director for naval design.

 

“It’s a beef up of the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities against Chinese submarines,” Rear Admiral Raja Menon, a retired Indian official, said by phone, referring to the Kamorta, which is named after an Indian island that was a convict settlement in the 1800s.

 

Even so, he said, “Indian warship building is not comparable to an aggressively modernizing Chinese navy. There is no way we can match China’s efforts.”

 

China Surge

 

China has built 20 Jiangdao-class anti-submarine corvettes since February 2013, when it unveiled the first one. At least 10 more will join the Chinese naval service in the coming months, according to data from IHS Jane’s.

 

China’s Jiangdao-class anti-submarine ships are about half the size of the Kamorta and designed to operate in shallow water, said Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, a retired Indian navy officer. The Indian ship can store helicopters on board and possesses surface warfare and air defense capabilities, he said.

Jaitley, who’s also India’s finance minister, eased rules for foreign investment in the nation’s defense sector and raised spending 12 percent in the current fiscal year to help modernize the armed forces.

 

China spent $188 billion on defense in 2013, about four times more than India, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 

Energy Needs

 

China has at least 52 submarines in its fleet, including three nuclear-missile vessels and three operating on nuclear power, the U.S. Congressional Research Service said in July, citing Jane’s Fighting Ships 2013-2014 and previous editions. India has a fleet of 14 diesel-electric submarines and a Russian-origin nuclear-powered submarine, according to the Indian Navy.

 

Chinese warships voyaged to the Gulf of Aden for the first time to join anti-piracy patrols in December 2008, two months after India deployed its warships in that role, and have since maintained a presence there. About half of China’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz and three-quarters of Japan’s, according to data from the Observer Research Foundation.

 

China’s growth means its future energy needs can be met only by supplies from the Gulf region, Africa and North America, according to a 2010 study from the U.S. Defense Department. Such supply points will keep China reliant on maritime transport even as it seeks to develop pipelines to avoid sensitive sea routes such as the Strait of Malacca, it said.

 

The Z-18F helicopter, China's new anti-submarine weapon

To strengthen the anti-submarine capability of the People's Liberation Army Navy, Z-18F helicopters will likely serve on the Liaoning, the nation's first aircraft carrier, and the Type 071 Yuzhao-class amphibious transport docks, according to a report by the Hangzhou-based Qianjiang Evening News on Aug. 12.

The paper cited a Chinese military website which stated that the Z-18F is likely a modified version of the Z-8F helicopter designed based on the French-built SA 321 Super Frelon. From photos posted online, Chinese military expert Li Xiaojian told the paper that the Z-18F is probably equipped with four eight-tube sonobuoy launchers, allowing the helicopter to carry 32 sonobuoys. A US SH-60 Seahawk, in comparison, is only able to carry 25 sonobuoys, according to Li.

Li also stated that the Z-18F is likely able to carry four 324mm torpedos simultaneously with the two external stores support system it has. Most anti-submarine helicopters designed in Western nations such as the SH-60, the NH-90 and the Super Lynx are only able to carry two torpedoes. Li said, however, that Westland's EH-101 is a better and more advanced anti-submarine platform than the Z-18F.

As the Z-18F helicopter is bulky, weighing 13 tonnes, Li said that none of the destroyers or frigates the PLA Navy currently has in its possession are capable of carrying it, therefore, only large vessels like the Liaoning and the Type 071 amphibious transport dock can carry it.

Li said that there is also another version of the Z-18 helicopter called the Z-18J which is being designed as an early warning aircraft.

China conducts full-scale island assault exercise with massive amphibious vessels

For the first time, all of the PLA Navy’s three gigantic Type 071 Amphibious Transport Dock vessels were deployed last week in a large naval exercise in the tense South China Sea, simulating in full an island-taking assault.

 

Also participating in the drill were PLAN’s destroyers, frigates, military helicopters and possibly submarines.

The Yuzhao-class Type 071 amphibious transport dock ships are the PLAN’s largest vessels, except for its lone aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

 

With 20,000-ton displacement, each measures 689 feet long and 92 feet wide.

 

It can carry 15-20 amphibious assault vehicles and 500-800 troops, an ideal vessel for island taking operations

Work well underway on China's two new aircraft carriers: Military Parade

The Moscow-based Military Parade has revealed more details on China's mysterious indigenous aircraft carriers currently under construction in Dalian and Shanghai.

In an report on Feb. 28, the Russian website said that the first vessel — known as 001A and designed by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation — is being built in Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning province and will be equipped with a steam catapult. The new carrier is expected to have a greater tonnage than China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was originally a Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier purchased from Ukraine in 1998.

The second vessel — known as 002 — under construction at Jiangnan shipyard on Shanghai's Changxing island, will be designed as China's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the report said. The size of the 002 will be similar to the USS Kitty Hawk with a tonnage of 61,351, and will be 5% larger than the 001A.

Both vessels have been designed based on blueprints of the unfinished Soviet Ulyanovsk-class aircraft carrier, according to Military Parade. The 002 will be fitted with four steam catapults, while the 001A will only have two. The 001A is likely to be named after the northeastern province of Shandong, following in line with the Liaoning, which was also named after a Chinese province.

The Shandong aircraft carrier may begin its service with the PLA Navy as soon as 2018, the report said, adding that China plans to build a total four aircraft carriers. Once completed, the PLA Navy would be able to establish four carrier battle groups to expand its maritime influence in the South China Sea and Western Pacific.

China plans to build 4 carriers, including nuclear

China plans to build four aircraft carriers in total to boost its naval power and exert its maritime claims, according to a Russian media report.

 

 

Official reports in January said that the PLA plans to have at least two aircraft carriers by 2015 or 2016 and said the country's second aircraft carrier is indeed under construction as previous unofficial reports had claimed. The country plans to build four aircraft carriers in total, the state newswire Xinhua citing a Russian weekly newspaper as reporting.

 

 

China commissioned the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet-era carrier purchased from Ukraine, in 2012. Future carriers are expected to be built domestically and take the Liaoning as their blueprint, at least initially.

 

 

The report further said construction appears to be behind schedule, but Beijing has mapped out a clear plan for its development. China's aircraft carrier program is set to be implemented in two phases, the report said, the aim being to build two carriers to establish carrier battle fleets to operate while two more advanced carriers are developed.

The report said the first two planned conventionally powered aircraft carriers may have a displacement of between 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes. The second phase may see the construction of two nuclear-powered carriers with an electromagnetic catapult system and displacement of 65,000 tonnes. These could possibly enter service by the late 2020s.

 

 

In order to carry out the second phase, the government approved a plan in February to build vessels that use nuclear power, the report said.

 

 

However, the Ministry of National Defense denied claims that it has plans to build more aircraft carriers at present.

 

 

The Communist Party secretary of Liaoning province, Wang Min, had said in January that an aircraft carrier was being built in Dalian, the port city where the Liaoning carrier was refitted. But reports related to Wang's remarks were promptly deleted from the internet for unknown reasons

 

PLA Navy would lose 40% of its fleet to sink a US carrier: report

China would have to sacrifice up to 40% of its People's Liberation Army Navy fleet in an attempt to sink a super aircraft carrier like the USS Gerald R Ford in a campaign, according to a report from the Moscow-based Military-Industrial Courier. 

China currently possesses several effective weapons systems that could be used against a US carrier battle group, including its DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles and 12 guided-missile destroyers. The country's two Type 051C and six Type 052C destroyers are all equipped with anti-ship missiles such as the YJ-83, C-805 and YJ-62, and they would also pose a serious threat against US carriers within the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, China has purchased four Sovremenny-class destroyers equipped with Moskit SSM P-270 anti-ship missiles from Russia, the report said. 

Aside from the Liaoning, the country's first aircraft carrier, the PLA Navy currently has 15 Type 054A frigates carrying HQ-16 surface-to-air missile within its vertical launching system. With the capability to defend the Chinese fleet against the US carrier-based aircrafts, Type 054A is able to sink enemy vessel with its C-803 anti-ship missile as well. 

If a US carrier battle group were to enter the waters of the Chinese coast, the PLA Navy could also deploy its 10 Type 056 corvettes and 40 Type 022 missile boats to fight in guerrilla warfare at sea against the US Navy, the report said. Both vessels able to launch anti-ship missiles such as YJ-83 and C-803 and the United States Navy would loses 10% of its strength in the region if one of its carriers were to be sunk.

However, the PLA Navy would not be able to sink a US aircraft carrier easily. According to the Forbes magazine, several countermethods have been developed by the US Navy to defend its aircraft carriers from Chinese attacks. While long-range unmanned aerial vehicles are able to destroy Chinese missile facilities, F-35 fighters with a combat range of 200 and 300 nautical miles enables the US ships to fight without entering the Chinese coastline.

The Military-Industrial Courier estimated that between 30%-40% of China's total naval strength would be lost to simply destroy one US carrier. Meanwhile, the biggest weakness for the US Navy in a potential conflict with the PLA Navy would be how to deploy its 11 carriers, 88 surface combat vessels, 55 Littoral Combat Ships and 31 amphibious assault ships to the Western Pacific in a short period of time, the report said.

China's Unmanned Submersible Mission Hailed as Successful

China's maritime authority has hailed the mission of an unmanned underwater vehicle as a success after it completed a fortnight voyage that included deep-water and night dives in the Pacific Ocean.

The State Oceanic Administration said on Wednesday that Qianlong-1, or underwater dragon-1, completed seven diving missions from Oct. 6 to 12, with a record depth of 5,162 meters.

Xu Huixi, leader of the Qianlong-1 project, said the vehicle had made several technological breakthroughs during the mission and it functioned normally.

Xu said the success of the mission showed the benefits of the vehicle in carrying out offshore seabed tasks.

Qianlong-1 is on a trial run and marks the first time a Chinese autonomous underwater vehicle has been used for a scientific expedition.

The vehicle, which is a robot that can travel to a depth of 6,000 meters, is tasked to explore the seabed and collect hydrological data.

It is about 4.6 meters long, 1,500 kg in weight and 0.8 meters in diameter. The vehicle, on board of the Chinese research vessel Haiyang-6, left Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sept. 28 for the eastern Pacific Ocean, with the first dive on Oct. 6.

During its fortnight voyage, the submersible successfully operated for a combined period of about 29 hours and collected data covering an area about 33 square kilometers. It completed two night dives respectively on Oct. 8 and 9.

Chinese Navy Ships Arrive in Russian Far East for Drills

Seven ships of the Chinese naval forces arrived in Russia’s Far Eastern port of Vladivostok on Friday to take part in large-scale Russian-Chinese exercises. 

The Naval Interaction 2013 exercise will be held in the Sea of Japan between July 5 and 10 and involve about 20 Russian and Chinese warships and auxiliary vessels, as well as a dozen of aircraft.

At a welcome ceremony, Rear Adm. Leonid Sukhanov, deputy chief of the Russian Navy Main Staff, said it was the biggest Chinese naval task force ever to arrive at the main base of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

“The Naval Interaction 2013 exercises are not directed against any third party and are not politically charged,” he said, adding that they should not be treated as a threat or warning to any country.

China’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Vice Adm. Ding Yiping, said the exercises are aimed at improving the two states’ anti-piracy cooperation.

China Catches Up At Sea

China recently launched a fourth Type 903 replenishment ship, right about the same time the third one completed its first sea trials. Thus in less than two years China has built and put into the water two more Type 903 replenishment ships. The first two of these 23,000 tons tanker/cargo ships appeared in 2004. Then in 2008, these ships became heavily used, supporting 13 task forces sent to the anti-piracy patrol off Somalia. Usually one Type 903 accompanied two warships (usually a frigate and a destroyer). The replenishment ship did just that, supplying fuel, water, food, and other supplies as needed. The replenishment ship would go to local ports to restock its depleted stores of fuel, water, food, and other necessities. China needs more Type 903s to support the growing number of long distance training operations into the Western Pacific.

 

One new Type 903 was launched in March 2012 and the second one two months later. Both then underwent fitting out and sea trials. The first one launched last year completed trials in nine months and the second one is apparently on the same fast track. Both Type 903s are entering service this year.

The Type 903 is similar to the twelve American T-AKE replenishment ships in service. These 40,000 ton ships service a much larger fleet than the four Chinese Type 903s and are part of a larger replenishment fleet required by American warships operating worldwide. 

 

Meanwhile China has, over the last two decades, trained more and more of its sailors to resupply ships at sea. It’s now common to see a Chinese supply ship in the Western Pacific refueling two warships at once. This is a tricky maneuver and the Chinese did not learn to do it overnight. They have been doing this more and more over the last decade, first refueling one ship at a time with the receiving ship behind the supply ship and then the trickier side-by-side method. This enables skilled supply ship crews to refuel two ships at once.

 

This is all part of a Chinese navy effort to enable its most modern ships to carry out long duration operations. In addition to the ships sent to Somalia, the Chinese have been sending flotillas (containing landing ships, destroyers, and frigates) on 10-20 day cruises into the East China Sea and beyond.

 

The Chinese have been working hard on how to use their new classes of supply ships. These are built to efficiently supply ships at sea. This is called underway replenishment and it means transferring fuel and other supplies to moving ships. This requires skill and practice and the Chinese are out there obtaining both, so much so that it’s become a regular practice. The crews have also learned how to keep all the needed supplies in good shape and stocked in the required quantities. This requires the procurement officers to learn how to arrange resupply at local ports in a time basis. This was particularly important off Somalia, where warships often had to speed up (burning a lot of fuel in the process) or use their helicopters to deal with the pirates.

 

Modern at-sea replenishment methods were developed out of necessity by the United States during World War II because of a lack of sufficient forward bases in the vast Pacific. The resulting service squadrons (Servrons) became a permanent fixture in the U.S. Navy after the war. Ships frequently stay at sea for up to six months at a time, being resupplied at sea by a Servron. New technologies were developed to support the effective use of the seagoing supply service. Few other navies have been able to match this capability, mainly because of the expense of the Servron ships and the training required to do at sea replenishment. China is buying into this capability, which makes their fleet more effective because warships can remain at sea for longer periods.

China's vessel Haixun 01 visits Sydney

China's largest patrol and rescue ship Haixun 01 set out for its first visit to Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia and arrived at Sydney's Garden Island port on Saturday morning.

Scheduled to depart from Shanghai on June 13, Haixun 01 is expected to join the Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies Forum in Australia's Cairns on July 2.

It will visit Indonesia's Jakarta port before stopping at Myanmar and Malaysia.

"It's our first time to send a maritime patrol boat to visit several countries, and it's also our longest trip in terms of navigation mileage," said Zhai Jiugang, deputy director of the maritime safety administration, commenting on the 60-some day, 13,909 nautical mile trip.

It's also the first time China sent a patrol and rescue ship to visit the southern hemisphere.

Chief of Australian Maritime Safety Authority Graham Peachey welcomed the vessel's arrival by saying that the visit showed the close collaboration between Australia and China on maritime safety, according to Xinhua.

During the weeklong visit in Sydney, AMSA personnel will meet with their Chinese counterparts and undertake a tabletop search and rescue exercise scheduled for Wednesday, said Peachey.

A series of maritime cooperation exercises, including the maritime search and rescue exercises, maritime safety management and disaster relief, will be carried out between Haixun 01 and marine authorities of the four mentioned countries, according to Xu Guoyi, head of the Shanghai Maritime Bureau and also the captain.

Issues such as water traffic safety, anti-terrorism and anti-pollution will also be discussed.

"The trip provides an opportunity to learn from each other and to jointly improve our capability of maritime management and service," he said, adding it strengthens the ties and exchanges between countries' development of shipping and trade.

The 128.6-meter-long, 5,418-ton vessel, which has a maximum sailing distance of 18,520 km without refueling, only officially joined the Shanghai maritime authority in the middle of April and it's this brand-new vessel's first trip abroad. Haixun 01 is also equipped with a helipad to allow airborne searches and rescue missions.

"The vessel, which can also be regarded as a helicopter carrier, makes it possible to expand the cruising range for search and rescue," Zhai said. Haixun 01 is expected to return to Shanghai by Aug 9.

International waters free for Chinese submarines

Chinese submarines are free to navigate international waters, including the Northwest Pacific, which is also visited by other nations' maritime forces, the spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

Spokesman Geng Yansheng made the remarks at a regular ministry briefing.

He also criticized the so-called "China Military Threat," as described by some Japanese media, as an act of "intentionally creating tension with an ulterior political motive."

"Such act is irresponsible and not conducive to peace and stability in the region," Geng said.

His remarks were made in response to a reporter's question regarding some Japanese media outlets' recent, frequent reporting on the voyages of China's Yuan-type submarines in Japan's contiguous zones.

Foreign sub spotted near Japan's territorial waters

A foreign submarine was detected on May 12 plying the depths in a contiguous zone outside Japan's territorial waters south of Kumejima island in Okinawa Prefecture, the Defense Ministry said May 13.

Although officials did not elaborate on the sub's country of origin, a government source said the vessel likely belonged to the Chinese Navy.

"I was prepared to order 'maritime security operations' immediately upon getting approval from the prime minister (Shinzo Abe), if the submarine entered (Japan's) territorial waters," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters May 13.

Under the Self-Defense Forces Law, the defense minister has the authority to order, subject to the prime minister's approval, SDF units to conduct "necessary operations" to protect lives and property at risk and to maintain security at sea.

Such circumstances, called "maritime security operations," allow the SDF to use weapons in lawful self-defense and emergency evacuation.

The last time maritime security operations were ordered against a submarine was in November 2004, when a submerged Chinese sub entered Japan's territorial waters around the Sakishima island chain in Okinawa Prefecture. Although the latest case did not involve a submarine incursion into territorial seas, Onodera is believed to have mentioned the measures to warn any countries involved.

International law does not prohibit submarines from entering a contiguous zone. But the ministry officials said they decided to make the latest incident public because they concluded it was an unusual case, which involved passage through the contiguous zone over a prolonged period.

China flexes muscle in Indian Ocean, Navy concerned

Increasing presence of the Chinese maritime forces in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and disciplinary issues in the force are expected to be discussed by the top Navy brass in their commanders' conference starting on Tuesday.

The Navy has been concerned over the increasing presence of Chinese navy's submarines and other warships in the IOR. In a recent report submitted to the defence ministry, the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters had informed the government quoting the data by American agencies that 22 encounters of Chinese submarines have taken place outside its territorial waters in the IOR.

China has also been successful in establishing its presence in ports around India including Chittagong in Bangladesh, Sittwe and Coco Island in Myanmar, Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Gwadar in Pakistan, which gives it capability to stay close to Indian waters from all sides in a move known as " string of pearls".

In the conference to be inaugurated by defence minister AK Antony, the Navy will also discuss cases of indiscipline faced by the force.

In recent times, several Navy officers have faced allegations of wife swapping and stealing the affection of brother officer's wife.

One senior officer posted on-board prestigious INS Virat aircraft carrier was dismissed by the force for sending lewd messages to several women using multiple SIM cards and mobile phones.

The top brass of the force is also expected to discuss the delay in the induction of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, which is being retrofitted in Russia and has been delayed due to mishaps in its boiler.

China's navy forms 1st carrier-borne jet force

A carrier-borne aviation force has been formally established as part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, military sources said on Friday.

The forming of the force, approved by the Central Military Commission (CMC), demonstrates that the development of China's aircraft carriers has entered a new phase, the sources said.

The force comprises carrier-borne fighter jets, jet trainers and ship-borne helicopters that operate anti-submarine, rescue and vigilance tasks.

The sources said the carrier-borne force is vital to the strike force of China's aircraft carrier and a vanguard in transforming its navy. It will also play a key role in developing aircraft carrier groups and building a strong navy.

Wu Shengli, a member of the CMC and commander of the PLA Navy, attended the forming event on Friday.

The sources said the personnel of the force are more elite than the aviation forces within the PLA. To be able to fly fighter jets, the pilots should have flown at least five types of aircraft and their flight time must exceed 1,000 hours.

Rich experience in joint drills and major drills is also a prerequisite. The pilots also received training in courses like warship theory, nautical basics, and maritime meteorology.

Currently, China operates one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was refitted based on an unfinished Russian-made carrier and delivered to the Navy on Sept. 25, 2012.

The carrier's original design allows it to carry about 30 fixed-wing aircraft.

The Liaoning has conducted successful take-off and landing tests of its carrier-borne J-15 fighters, the main strike force of China's carrier group.

China Seeks A Nimitz Moment

In China, government controlled media recently carried comments by a senior admiral in which the construction of a second carrier (as rumored, in a yard near Shanghai) was denied, but it was confirmed that a second, larger carrier was in the planning stage. It would make sense that as much experience as possible be gained from the first carrier (the Liaoning) first before finalizing the design of the second one.

 

The Liaoning is a 65,000 ton, 305 meter (999 feet) long ship that spent over a year on sea trials. During that time Liaoning was at sea for about four months. This was all in preparation for flight operations that began six months ago and were a success, although the Chinese built J15 (an Su-27 variant) jet fighter is still being tweaked as it participates in these carrier operations. Last year China confirmed that the Liaoning will primarily be a training carrier. The Chinese apparently plan to station up to 24 jet fighters and 26 helicopters on the Liaoning and use the ship to train pilots and other specialists for four or more additional carriers that are to be built. Meanwhile the Liaoning will also be staffed and equipped as a combat ship as well.

 

A new Chinese “larger carrier” means something like the recently decommissioned American USS Enterprise (CVN 65). This was the first nuclear powered carrier and it served as the prototype for the subsequent Nimitz class. The Enterprise was an expensive design, and only one was built (instead of a class of six). While a bit longer than the later Nimitz class, it was lighter (92,000 tons displacement, versus 100,000 tons). The Enterprise was commissioned in 1961, almost 40 years after the Langley entered service (1923). In the two decades after the Langley, the first U.S. carrier, went to sea, there were tremendous changes in carrier aviation. While the innovation slowed after World War II, major changes continued into the 1950s (jet aircraft, nuclear propelled carriers, SAMs). But in the ensuing half century there has been no major innovation in basic carrier design. This has not been a problem because the carriers have proven useful, at least for the U.S. Navy (the only fleet to use such large carriers) and no one else has maintained a force of these large carriers. Only the U.S. has a constant need to get air power to any corner of the planet in a hurry. More importantly, no navy has been able to give battle to the U.S. carrier force since 1945. The Soviets built new anti-carrier weapons and made plans to use them but that war never occurred. China is building carriers but is not committed to having a lot of them against the U.S. but to intimidate its neighbors. 

 

In any event, many naval planners worry that the next war will find carriers coming off second best to nuclear submarines and missiles. As in the past, we'll never know unless there's a war to test any new theories about how you fight aircraft carriers. Thus it makes sense for the Chinese to follow the American example and build clones of American carriers. In the last half century there has been a lot written about the Enterprise and the Nimitz class ships, along with lots of photos and videos as well. It would make sense to the Chinese to do an updated Nimitz for their first class of carriers because so much is known about them. 

 

Meanwhile, China has built a carrier pilot training program, along with schools for the many other specialists required to make a carrier work. It was rather surprising to Westerners that China managed to get jet aircraft operating from their new aircraft carrier (the Liaoning) just two months after the ship was commissioned (on September 25th). In large part that was because the Chinese put a lot of effort into preparation. Training of carrier pilots began nearly a decade earlier, but perhaps the smartest move the Chinese made was to arrange for Brazil to have its carrier sailors show the Chinese how it’s done. This was particularly important in the case of how the deck sailors on a carrier operate to get aircraft ready for takeoffs and how the air control specialists in the carrier “island” handle landings. While Russian carrier expertise was for sale, the Chinese wanted to learn how Western navies did this, since carrier operations were invented in the West a century ago. If the next class of Chinese carrier will be based on Western designs this would be the way to go. 

 

Four years ago Brazil agreed to this deal so that Chinese sailors could learn carrier operating skills on the Brazilian Navy's carrier, the "Sao Paulo." It was 13 years ago that Brazil bought the 32,000 ton French aircraft carrier Foch (which was still in service) for $12 million, updated it, and renamed it "Sao Paolo." The navy has not been able to get much cash out of the government to further refurbish the 51 year old Sao Polo, and apparently the Chinese deal will change that.

 

The 33,000 ton "Sao Paolo" was headed for decommissioning and has been used mainly to train carrier pilots when Bazil bought it. The "Sao Paolo" entered service in 2000, and the Brazilians retired the 20,000 ton "Minas Gerais", a World War II era (British) Colossus Class carrier, a year later (after 40 years of service). So the Brazilians have a long tradition of carrier operations and sufficient experienced carrier sailors to teach the Chinese some useful things. Brazil has long been the only South American nation to operate a carrier. The Sao Polo has a crew of 1,900 and was designed to carry 35 warplanes (smaller, older models like the A-4) and four helicopters. This load can vary depending on aircraft type.

 

Six years ago the Chinese Navy Air Force began training carrier fighter pilots (or "aviators" as they are known in the navy). In the past Chinese navy fighter pilots went to Chinese Air Force fighter training schools, and then transferred to navy flight training schools to learn how to perform their specialized (over open water) missions. Now, operating from carriers and performing landings and take-offs at sea has been added to the navy fighter pilot curriculum. The first class of carrier aviators has finished a four year training course at the Dalian Naval Academy. This included learning how to operate off a carrier, using a carrier deck mock-up on land. Landing on a moving ship at sea is another matter. The Russians warned China that it may take them a decade or more to develop the knowledge and skills needed to efficiently run an aircraft carrier. The Chinese are game and are slogging forward. The first landing and takeoff was apparently carried out in calm seas. It is a lot more difficult in rough weather (when the carrier is moving up and down and sideways a lot) and at night. The latter, called “night traps”, is considered the most difficult task any aviator can carry out, especially in rough weather

China's first training base for carrier-born aircrafts

Chinese naval officials working at a land-based training facility for carrier-capable jets have taken some time to explain how their training works. 

Pilots at the testing facility are practicing on China's home-developed J-15 fighter jets.

The jets have been designed specifically to take off and land on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier.

But before the pilots get a chance to practice on the Liaoning, they have to train at the land-based facility, the exact location of which hasn't been officially disclosed.

Every pilot will have to pass a series of tests at the site before they'll be cleared for test training at sea.

The training center is set up to mimick what it will be like to land on the aircraft carrier, including landing using arresting cables.

Landing and taking off from an aircraft carrier is much different for a pilot than it is from a land-based airport.

As such, over 27-hundred flights took off and landed at the land-based test site before any flight testing first began on the Liaoning.

Tian Wei is a squadron leader at the training base. He says they've made up 10 different manuals to help the pilots through the nuances of learning how to operate their jets at sea.

"The follow-up training is very crucial. For example, a manufacturer makes a gun and shows you how to load the bullets and how to shoot. However, it requires a lot of practice if you want to hit the target, and hit it with accuracy. As such, we drafted a program and manual for our pilots to follow."

The training staff at the facility aren't taking any chances before letting the pilots test on the Liaoning.

The testing facility has been made more difficult to land on than it will be on the Liaoning.

There is only one arresting cable across the landing zone.

The aircraft carrier has 4 cables which the pilots can hit to allow them to stop.

Zhou Chunshan is the deputy commander of the training base.

"Land-based training is mostly focused on landing practice. Landing is the most difficult thing for a pilot to do on an aircraft carrier, so accuracy and consistency is the most important thing for our pilots. We record their landings and map how well they are progressing."

Authorities running the land-based training base say they are hoping to make improvements on the field to give their pilots more practice and training with simulated aircraft carrier take-offs as well.

China building Type 052D guided missile destroyers

Shanghai Shipbuilding Co. will soon complete construction of three Type 052D destroyers, with sea trials expected to be carried out within months, according to Chinese military news websites.

The launch of the three new guided missile destroyers is seen as a warning amid rising tension between China and its neighbors over disputed islands in the East China Sea and South China Sea, China's dwnews.com reported.

The 052D destroyer uses a flat-array radar similar to the Aegis system, a new vertical launching system (VLS), is powered by combustion turbine engines and has angled surfaces for stealth anti-radar features.

The report said the vessel is a new multifunction guided missile destroyer developed based on its predecessor, the Type 052C. The 052D has been dubbed the "Chinese Aegis," as it is believed to have similar capabilities to the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

In the West, the Aegis system is a distinct, brand-name phased-array system that allows multiple Aegis-capable warships to share tracking and targeting data.

The 052D is reportedly equipped with 64 new VLS for surface-to- air missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine missiles, as well as a new 130mm main gun and a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system.

Its layout is similar to that of the 052C, but the superstructure slopes inward at a greater angle, providing superior stealth capability.

Judged by its major features, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military analyst, suggested that the new vessels will serve as the backbone of the the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s naval combat fleet.

Problems in China's submarine program?

Submarine development and construction is a notoriously opaque subject, hard enough to analyse in open societies and even more difficult in a secretive environment such as that of China's military. Nevertheless, open sources are providing information that indicates important trends and potential problems in China's ambitious efforts to create a second-strike ballistic missile submarine force, at the same time as it produces both nuclear attack submarines and large numbers of modern conventionally propelled patrol units.

The Taiwanese report cited in Sam Roggeveen's post claiming that none of China's new ballistic missile submarines (or the accompanying missile) is yet fully operational may be a straw in the wind to suggest that the People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) is struggling to achieve its ambitions in this complex area of naval capability.

Another comes in the recent reports that China plans to order at least four of an export version of the Russian LADA (Type 677) class patrol submarine. Although there are significant doubts as to the status of the plan, what is interesting about this scheme is the suggestion that the Russians themselves have accepted that their protracted development of the LADA needs help. Only three boats have been completed since the first was laid down in 1996 and it is arguable that even the lead unit is not yet fully operational. The failure of the type has forced Russia to revive KILO (Type 636) production for its own navy. 

Russia has also now apparently resumed a cooperative relationship with the Italian Fincantieri shipbuilder, with the obvious hope of incorporating western European technology into its boats (something that had already to be done for the water-making systems and batteries of the units Russia exported to India in previous years).

If China is joining this program, even if only as a buyer, this indicates that it is not confident its indigenous production effort will achieve results in good time. This may be an issue of quantity – in China's strategic situation, numbers have a value all their own – but it is much more likely to be one of quality.

This should not be a surprise. China faces extraordinary challenges in effectively managing three separate major submarine programs from its own resources. Despite national security and commercial intellectual property restrictions, most Western submarine operators can and do share a great deal of technology and doctrine through alliance arrangements and bilateral relationships. China enjoys no such access (at least not legitimately so).

It has had to hedge its bets before, with the purchase of a dozen Russian KILO class boats – four in 1993 and eight in 2002. While the first buy could be seen as providing a window on the much more advanced state of Russian design and construction at the time, the second can only have been because the Chinese-designed SONG (Type 039) class was not proving to be all that the PLA-N wanted. Certainly, the first unit needed several years of trials before commissioning and the second and subsequent boats had to be greatly modified. 

The SONG class has been followed by the YUAN (Type 041; pictured), whose appearance suggests that its design was strongly influenced by that of the KILO. This boat is now in large scale production and Jane's Fighting Ships predicts a class size of 20. However, many of its systems and sub-systems represent older technology, and a truly up to date design will be required to meet the operational challenges of the future.

Chinese participation in a Russo-Italian program may provide the access it needs to a range of technologies, although Russia is likely to agree to the scheme only if China buys enough boats to avoid the accusation that its intent is simply reverse engineering. 

This will not, in the short term, solve China's problems with its ballistic missile submarines or the nuclear attack boats, but it will help relieve pressure on China's ship design personnel and facilities – pressure which must be intense, given the number of construction programs the PLA-N has in hand for both surface and sub-surface units. It is not often realised that limited stocks of drawing-office design expertise, draughtsmen and naval architects have long been one of the major constraints for naval development in every nation with pretensions to building its own warships, including, at times, both the UK and the US. This is a reality China is now facing.

China builds second aircraft carrier

Navy has a single carrier, the Russian-built Liaoning, and says another larger vessel is under construction

China will build a second, larger aircraft carrier capable of carrying more fighter jets, the official Xinhua news service has reported, quoting a senior officer with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

The report comes after Chinese officials denied foreign media reports in September 2012 that China was building a second carrier in Shanghai. 

"China will have more than one aircraft carrier ... The next aircraft carrier we need will be larger and carry more fighters," Xinhua quoted Song Xue, deputy chief of staff of the PLA Navy, as saying at a ceremony with foreign military attaches. 

Song said foreign media reports saying the carrier was being built in Shanghai were inaccurate but did not elaborate, according to the report. 

China currently has one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which it bought from the Russians and refitted. Considered by military experts to be decades behind US carrier technology, it was officially said to have been bought to serve as a floating casino but was turned to military use.

China is also building up other forms of military hardware, including a stealth fighter jet believed to be capable of landing on a carrier, drone aircraft and nuclear submarines. 

China is alone among the original nuclear weapons states to be expanding its nuclear forces, according to a report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. 

Song said the PLA Navy was building a naval aviation force for the Liaoning and there would be at least two aviation regiments on one carrier, including fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, electronic countermeasure (ECM) planes and rotary-wing aircraft, the report said.

Chinese officials have said the Liaoning will be used primarily for training purposes.