Defense/Military - 24. page

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that China’s second aircraft carrier is scheduled for its initial sea trial in about two weeks. Leaked photos showed that its phased array radar installation reached completion. The sea trial date is likely to be around China’s Naval Army Day (April 23). Chinese Naval experts explained that the new and fully domestically designed carrier will not serve as a training vessel. Instead, it will be a combat vessel. The carrier is also to gain more design experience for the next one. However, this upcoming new carrier will not deploy catapult take-off technology because China’s carrier aircraft still needs improvements. Also, if a carrier were to use electromagnetic ejection technology, it would require high electric power, which may be too difficult for a conventionally powered carrier. The new carrier has tens of millions of parts. The full cycle of preparation, design, research, and development, as well as construction will require highly comprehensive experience to mature.

Source: Sina, April 9, 2018
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2018-04-09/doc-ifyvtmxe6197797.shtml

China’s state media, the Global Times, published an article that Former Vice Commander of the Nanjing Military Region, Lieutenant General Wang Hongguang, wrote boasting about China taking over Taiwan in three days with “six fighting means.” The article is related to the U.S. Congress having recently passed the “Taiwan Travel Act.” The six fighting means include the following:

The first is firepower. During the preparation phase, the three waves of firepower assaults are based on artillery missiles, plus three waves of aviation firepower supplements. According to computer simulations, one-third of Taiwan’s important targets should be destroyed, and other important targets and general targets should be suppressed, making them lose their functions within 48 hours.

The second is hitting the targets. The U.S. military determined that there are more than 700 strike targets in North Korea (1.2 million troops). Taiwan’s military has only about 200,000 troops, so at best it will have 200 to 300 targets. The military objectives in Taiwan have two characteristics that make them easy to beat. One is that they are concentrated; the other is that they are exposed.

The third is a three-dimensional battle. The fourth is information (including an electromagnetic network) warfare. The fifth is special operations. Our military has a special warfare division in each war region. It is a good opportunity for practicing fighting used in Taiwan. The sixth is psychological (including the law and public opinion) warfare.

The article concluded that after the joint, sustained and fierce attack of the ‘six means of warfare,’ ‘Taiwan independence’ forces could be sustained for no more than three days.

Source: Global Times, March 27, 2018
http://taiwan.huanqiu.com/article/2018-03/11697635.html

Xinhua published an article in its military section, “analyzing” the United States’ new strategic plan for its nuclear technology. The article stated, “The United States has recently hinted that it will revise its nuclear strategy. Specifically, it is developing tactical nuclear weapons while loosening up the conditions for the use of tactical nuclear weapons and even issuing threats about using tactical nuclear weapons. Why is the U.S. revising its nuclear strategy?” “To sum it up, the United States’ revision of its nuclear strategy is to make full use of existing technological advantages to improve its strategic position (in the world). This is the same means that the United States has always used.”

The article continued, “At present, the United States has turned its attention to the field of nuclear technology. Nuclear technology is a double-edged sword. Using this advantage will have benefits and it will have a significant impact on the U.S. and even on the world. Although the United States has only talked about its nuclear plan, it has a long way to go to implement it in a concrete way. It already has this intention, which indicates that the United States has already had to use its technological advantage with a double-edged sword to create its own strategic status. This also shows that, in recent years, the United States has been in a state of distress in the fields of technology, capital, and comprehensive national power. At the same time, it also shows that the United States is currently dissatisfied with its strategic position in the world and hopes to use a field with technological advantages to improve its strategic situation in a more powerful way. The state of Russia in previous years is similar to the current state of the United States. In those years, Russia was once in rapid decline in its national strength. The core element to maintain its status as a major power is nuclear power. The United States has also fallen into the use of nuclear advantages to maintain its strategic advantage. This is the mystery behind the United States’ nuclear strategy.”

Source: Xinhua, February, 9, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/mil/2018-02/09/c_129809577.htm

Radio Free Asia reported that, based on the budget recently released, China’s 2018 military budget will increase to 1.1 trillion yuan (US$ 175 billion), an increase of 8.1 percent over 2017, surpassing the 6.5 percent projected increase in China’s economic growth. This made China the second largest country in military expenditures, second only to the U.S. The article stated that there has been speculation that the increase in military spending was meant to challenge the U.S. and the existing international order. Xinhua defended the increase saying that 2018 will be the third time since 2013 that the increase in military expenditures was a single digit number. It argued that the investment in the military is lower than other countries in terms of percent of GDP and in terms of per capita amount. It also assured that China will not pose a threat to any country.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 6, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/hc-03062018103824.html

Global Times recently reported that the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) just released its strategic development roadmap. The roadmap describes the plans to accelerate the process of developing a nuclear aircraft carrier, as well as new models for nuclear submarines and quiet submarines. The strategic roadmap is to align with the Chinese Navy’s “Deep Blue” strategy that aims to transform the Navy to deploy to far seas by the year 2025. This is the first official confirmation of the existence of the plan for building nuclear aircraft carriers. CSIC also mentioned that the nuclear design still requires much research and development work. It appears the nuclear technology, along with Electromagnetic catapult design, may be deployed on the second or the third China-made carrier down the road. The vision of the Chinese nuclear aircraft carrier is to support large Navy fleets for missions far from bases and for a long period of time. This is more and more of a requirement to protect China’s international interests.

Source: Global Times, February 28, 2018
http://mil.huanqiu.com/world/2018-02/11629820.html