Defense/Military - 3. page

People’s Daily republished a PLA Daily analysis examining the U.S. Navy’s newly released shipbuilding plan, which envisions a future fleet of 450 manned and unmanned vessels designed to support a more distributed and resilient maritime force. The article argues that the plan faces significant challenges due to the decline of the U.S. shipbuilding industry, delays in new vessel construction, and the accelerated retirement of aging ships.

According to the analysis, U.S. shipyards continue to struggle with schedule delays, cost overruns, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, and aging industrial infrastructure. It cites the Congressional Budget Office’s assessment that U.S. naval shipbuilding is at its lowest level in nearly 25 years. For example, the USS “Doris Miller,” the next Ford-class aircraft carrier under construction, may not enter service until 2034.

The analysis further argues that the retirement of older vessels is outpacing the delivery of new ones. The U.S. Navy has expanded its FY2026 decommissioning plan to include 14 ships, including nuclear-powered submarines, cruisers, littoral combat ships, amphibious vessels, and support ships. To offset declining fleet numbers, several aging platforms—including the USS “Nimitz,” which entered service in 1975—have had their service lives extended beyond their originally planned retirement dates.

The article concludes that the U.S. Navy’s fleet expansion challenges stem from structural weaknesses, including insufficient industrial capacity, outdated procurement practices, and deficiencies in program planning and risk management. It argues that these factors could significantly undermine the implementation of the Navy’s shipbuilding strategy and broader modernization objectives.

Source: People’s Daily, June 17, 2026
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0617/c1011-40742073.html

China’s People’s Liberation Army Daily reported that the first PLA-wide senior officer training program, lasting 10 weeks, was held at the National Defense University in Beijing from April 8 to June 16. Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony in his capacity as Chairman of the Central Military Commission and delivered a speech, according to the state military newspaper’s front-page account.

At the opening, Xi declared that any thoughts or actions motivated by self-interest or corruption are fundamentally incompatible with the nature and purpose of the CCP, which he described as a Marxist political party representing the broadest interests of the people and claiming to hold no special interests of its own. He also stressed that the military must have no room for those who are disloyal to the Party or for corrupt elements, and that senior officers must take the lead in resisting corrupt practices.

The training program adopted a blended learning model combining expert instruction, group study sessions, and individual self-study, with more than 40 theoretical lectures and over 10 focused readings of key texts. Participants also watched cautionary educational films on corruption, studied CCP disciplinary regulations, and reviewed Central Military Commission guidelines on strengthening oversight and management of senior military officers.

During the first week, trainees participated in an activity titled “Revisiting the Beginning of Soldierhood and Reflecting on the Responsibilities of Commanders,” which included re-taking the Party oath, re-singing the “Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention,” and drilling basic military formations during morning exercises.

The report noted that participants unanimously affirmed the need to uphold the “CMC Chairman Responsibility System,” and that the Central Military Commission attached great importance to the training program. The article was published ahead of the PLA’s centenary in 2027, framing the initiative within Xi’s broader anti-corruption campaign in the military, which has targeted figures up to the level of vice chairman of the CMC and defense minister since he took power in November 2012.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), June 24, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202606240105.aspx

A recent report in People’s Daily highlighted a Beijing Garrison regiment’s efforts to modernize base management through a “Smart Barracks” pilot program. While personnel continue to guard critical and sensitive locations, the unit has introduced biometric access controls, high-definition surveillance systems, backup power supplies, and independent alarm networks to supplement or replace manual guard duty at warehouses, armories, kitchens, and other facilities.

The regiment has adopted an “external sentry plus intelligent monitoring” model across multiple locations. Smart technologies are used to monitor food consumption and storage conditions, calculate ammunition transportation requirements, manage vehicle key distribution, and automatically transmit operational records to duty offices, improving efficiency and reducing manpower demands.

Training activities have also been digitized. Intelligent timing and performance-tracking systems automatically record soldiers’ training results, reducing administrative workloads and enabling commanders to devote more attention to refining training methods and improving operational readiness.

Source: People’s Daily,  June 20, 2026
http://military.people.com.cn/BIG5/n1/2026/0620/c1011-40743877.html