Defense/Military - 21. page

The TASS Russian News Agency recently published long commentaries, claiming that China is actively expanding in the submarine market and that Russian submarines are facing competitors. A March 29th article gave an example that Russia’s Project 636 diesel-electric submarine, which was originally planned to be exported to Thailand, met with a fiasco because it faced competition from China’s S26T submarine and lost huge orders. This is just the latest example of China squeezing the Russian traditional arms market.

The Russian media commented that Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Russia were previously considered to be world leaders in the field of submarine shipbuilding, with the Asia-Pacific always regarded as a market for the Russians. Now, in the field of diesel-electric submarines, a new player – China – is emerging.

The article  said that, as early as May 2017, China’s Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s (CSIC) S26T diesel-electric submarine already defeated Russia’s Kilo-class 636 conventionally-powered submarine, and the Royal Thai Navy awarded it with a contract valued at US$ 360 million, for one S26T diesel-electric submarine scheduled to be delivered in 2023. After that, the Chinese S26T submarine once again defeated Russia’s improved version of the Kilo-class submarine. It received orders from the Thai military for the purchase of two other submarines to be delivered in 2026. The total contract value of the three submarines is up to a billion dollars.

Earlier, China built eight S20 diesel-electric submarines through close cooperation for Pakistan, and leveled the playing field with Russia whose 877EKM submarine were exported to India.

Russian experts commented that China had previously purchased four 877EKM and eight 636 submarines from Russia. In fact, the break-through of China’s diesel-electric submarine technology took place after importing the Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

TASS observed that CSIC recently stated that at least eight countries in the world – Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Libya, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela – are interested in Chinese submarines. This news is not likely to make the Russians happy because these countries have long been Russian partners in the export of weapons and equipment.

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 4, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/lxy-04042019094154.html

China announced that, from 2018 to 2019, its military spending will grow 7.6 percent to 1.19 trillion yuan (US$177 billion). The “Qiang Guo Internet Forum,” under People’s Daily invited Luo Yuan, a retired PLA admiral to comment on the increase in military spending. Luo said that China’s “limited defense spending” is to safeguard its national sovereignty. Some countries, who adopt a double standard, should not judge it as a “China threat.” The increase was rather because “China feels threatened.”

According to the Central News Agency, Luo said that whenever it is the time for the Lianghui (China’s “Two Sessions”), some western media stir up the “China Threat theory.” The military spending increase is solely for the purpose of safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity and for implementing the settlement of retired military personnel and veterans; it will not pose a threat to other countries. Luo commented that the environment around China is not secure. U.S. military ships frequently enter and exit the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, which poses a provocation to China’s sustainable development interests. Luo said, “When some countries show off their military power at the doorstep of our family … Taiwan independence and other separatist forces are eager to move forward.  … If, once the country needs it, we don’t make a few moves to win the battle, the PLA won’t live up to the ‘glorious title it has been given.” China’s military goal is to build the army into a “world-class army” but there are still gaps and pressures in these areas. China needs to have a sense of urgency and anxiety.

Source: Central News Agency, March 5, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201903050035.aspx

On February 26, 2018, Nanjing Military District Commander Li Bin visited Unicom (Jiangsu) to learn about the application results of Unicom (Jiangsu) in new technologies and new fields such as big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things. Li Bin had exchanges on how to promote the application of 5G technology in military-civilian integration.

Commander Li Bin said that 5G will not only change society but will also shape future wars. The widespread application of new combat warfare such as unmanned reconnaissance, unmanned vehicles, and autonomous combat will rely on the 5G ultra-high-speed information transmission. Both the military and local civilians should implement the concept of the integration of military and civilian development; they should strengthen cooperation in the areas of mobilization, construction of new quality militia, dynamic management of the militia, and mobilization of auxiliary decision-making zones; and they should actively explore the in-depth use of information technology in the field of national defense mobilization.

Source: jstv.com, February 27, 2019
http://news.jstv.com/a/20190227/1551254341392.shtml

According to the China Satellite Navigation Office, in 2019, China plans to launch 8 to 10 Beidou navigation satellites as part of its high intensity global networking. It will finish launching all medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites and improve system wide service functions and user experiences.

The official media reported that, since the completion of the basic system and the launching of global services of the Beidou No. 3 project at the end of 2018, the Beidou system has operated steadily. Its positioning accuracy is within 10 meters around the globe, and within 5 meters in the Asia-Pacific region.

At present, the Beidou system is being used in land confirmation in Indonesia and electric power inspections in Russia.

Source: People’s Daily, March 5, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-03/05/nw.D110000renmrb_20190305_5-04.htm

On January 30, 2019, People’s Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), published an interview with a military expert, Qian Qihu.

Qian Qihu was born in October 1937. He is a military engineer and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He won China’s 2018 Highest Science and Technology Award. According to the article, for more than 60 years, Qian has been working on protective engineering research and personnel training. He established China’s theoretical system of modern protective engineering and solved some key technical problems, including nuclear weapons’ airborne explosions, ground-contact explosions, ground- penetrating explosions and new ground-penetrating bombs.

Qian said, “our national defense projects, especially underground protection projects, are the cornerstone of the country’s active defense strategy, the last line of defense for national security, and an important guarantee for our peaceful environment.”

Qian also said, “In the information battlefield, there have been great developments of satellite reconnaissance and surveillance technology, as well as the application of precision-guided weapons. As a result, the bunker buster missiles equipped with a smart fuze has a higher hit ratio, stronger ground-penetration ability, and more destructive power. All these pose greater challenges to the protection project. Recently, a country has tested hypersonic missiles that have a strong penetration capability. It is said that no anti-missile system can prevent it. When the anti-missile system fails to intercept it midway, the role of the ground and underground protection works stand out.”

Source: People’s Liberation Army Daily, January 30, 2019
http://www.81.cn/jfjbmap/content/2019-01/30/content_226530.htm

The China National Space Administration announced on January 3 that its spacecraft, Chang’e 4, successfully achieved a soft landing on the far side of the moon and sent back the first close-up image. The news caught the attention of those in Russia. A Russian expert revealed that China successfully completed the mission with the help of Russia.

The Russian state television reported on January 4 that, for the Chang’e 4 lunar probe to land and complete a number of its tasks of long duration, its power system and battery were the key. The detector relied on a radioisotope battery to provide power, but China cannot manufacture such a battery. Russia provided the heat source battery for Chang’e 4. Alexey Likhachev, director general of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), said, “At that time, the Chinese partners asked us to provide radioisotope thermoelectric generator batteries within the shortest time. This time it was used on Chang’e 4. In fact, the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities is also using these products.”

In addition, Russian state television reported that, as early as the 1990s, the United States and the Soviet Union had already developed plans for the detector to land on the far side of the moon. The landing point almost coincided with the location of the Chinese Chang’e 4. China’s first generation of lunar exploration programs was also developed with the help of Russian experts.

The Russian Pravda website published a review article which said that this moon landing has great political significance for Beijing. It is now clear that the space race between big powers is not about to start, but is already white-hot. Beijing’s landing of the lunar probe will further intensify the space race. Even India is planning to send three astronauts into space in 2022. Moscow, which has been training astronauts for Beijing and providing space technology, is reluctantly watching Beijing surpass it.

However, after China’s moon landing plan became known to the outside world, the Russian space community also announced an ambitious moon landing plan. Evgeny Mikrin, general designer of the manned programs for Russia, said in a speech in November 2018 that the Russian astronauts will land on the moon for the first time after 2030, and the mission will last for 14 days.

Source: Radio Free Asia, January 8, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/lxy-01082019120809.html