The Chinese Navy Has a Problem

Daredevil

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Debates over China's anti-access system of systems and its desire to pierce the successive Pacific Island chains often overlook the fact that China faces a very basic set of maritime problems. The PRC draws its most important resources from across an ocean that it cannot control, and exports most of its finished goods to overseas partners who similarly lay beyond the reach of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Whether or not the PLAN can deter or defeat the U.S. Navy (USN) in China's littoral, the organization's true test lies in its ability to secure the PRC's critical lines of communication.

The concept of the Sea Control Ship builds on the World War II experience of escort carriers; small, slow aircraft carriers with air wings focused on anti-submarine missions. The Royal Navy and the United States Navy pioneered development of these ships, designed to cover the gaps in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) air coverage over the Atlantic. Escort carriers were remarkably successful in forcing German U-boats to remain submerged, or destroying them outright.

The United States played with the concept (espoused most vigorously by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt) during the Cold War without ever embracing it outright, although it did convert several old Essex class carriers to perform anti-submarine duties. The USN also experimented with converting USS Guam (an Iwo Jima class LPH) to sea control duties, although the experience was not widely regarded as a success. Nevertheless, healthy debate in the Navy continued into the late 1970s and 1980s.

In practice, the USN did not need to construct dedicated Sea Control Ships, because so many U.S. allies operated (and continue to operate) small carriers that perform basic sea control missions. Ranging from the Colossus class carriers distributed across the world at the end of World War II, to the Spanish Dedalo, to the modern Hyuga class Helicopter Destroyer, the USN could and can depend on allies to conduct escort missions. The USN could also rely on access to airbases worldwide in order to support land-based sea control aviation.

China has none of these advantages. No Chinese ally is likely to devote treasure to the construction of sea control ships in the near future (Pakistan might be the best long term bet), and China lacks access to good bases for counter-sea aviation. For sea control beyond China's littoral, the PLAN has few, if any, good options.

In a structurally similar position to China (although much less dependent on foreign trade), the Soviet Navy started with what amounted to Sea Control Ships, in the form of the Moskva class helicopter carriers and the Kiev class "heavy aviation cruisers." Although these ships weren't designed specifically with commerce protection in mind, they were specialized for anti-submarine warfare, with allowance for air superiority and surface warfare in the Kiev class. Moreover, Soviet naval aviation evolved over time, with new platforms benefitting from experiences earned with older vessels.

China has been determined to leap several stages, with consequences for training that are already becoming apparent. But perhaps more importantly, by skipping ahead the PLAN has left itself bereft of the kind of low cost, medium size platforms that can support sea control operations at a distance from home. The lack of these sea control platforms (or suitable alternatives) will leave the PLAN at a serious disadvantage when and if it needs to protect lines of communication in unfriendly environments. Liaoning can only operate in one place at a time, and only for a limited time period. The PLAN might have been better served by adopting the more evolutionary Soviet approach to naval aviation.

The Chinese Navy Has a Problem | Flashpoints
 

Ray

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China wants to seize all the islands around SCS to act as static aircraft carriers along with Underground submarine pens!
 

asianobserve

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China wants to seize all the islands around SCS to act as static aircraft carriers along with Underground submarine pens!

Apart from the oil and natural underneath them.
 

huaxia rox

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so after presenting all the points true or not any suggestion or advice can be given to prc or PLA???
 

huaxia rox

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my personal understanding is cpc has wasted a lot of time and resources........when they say they want a strong nation they put just a little amount of money on military buildups.........when they put the already little money on military build ups a lot of the money goes to buying useless audi sedans and maotai......then what elae can we expect???

when a party on the one hand knows the people dont have enough water to drink and use to generate electricity on the other hand just so reluctant to build dams in tibet is in power now unless people like luoyuan or zhu chenghu etc who at least knows a bit about how to build a strong PLA and use it when in need can go higher there is no solustion in foreseable future at all.........
 

huaxia rox

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What can be more better sea control ships than unsinkable aircraft carriers? In SEA:



In the Indian Ocean there's Diego Garcia...





just a little question....when do you think you can see those things to be unleashed to fly over north korea or iran??? waiting for iran or north korea to fire the 1st shot???
 

nimo_cn

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just a problem? not two?

Sent from my HUAWEI T8951 using Tapatalk 2
 

huaxia rox

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i know.....otherwise iran would not have got some of those......but information scouting is not real wars like 2003 iraq one......
 

Ray

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just a little question....when do you think you can see those things to be unleashed to fly over north korea or iran??? waiting for iran or north korea to fire the 1st shot???

Here it the official version:

Russia and China are calling for restraint on the Korean peninsula, where the North responded with midnight crisis meetings and more fist-shaking Friday to an overflight by U.S. nuclear-capable B-2 bombers......

Mr. Kim called the B-2 overflights "an ultimatum that they [the United States] will ignite a nuclear war at any cost on the Korean peninsula," according to Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang.

Good Friday message: Russia, China urge U.S. to turn the other cheek and back off North Korea - Washington Times
 

Yusuf

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As a chini said in another thread, bomb all the naval bases!!

China thinks it can "missile" it's way out of any situation.
 

ice berg

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As a chini said in another thread, bomb all the naval bases!!

China thinks it can "missile" it's way out of any situation.
Try not to pretend you know what China thinks. You dont speak for her.
 

Ray

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Try not to pretend you know what China thinks. You dont speak for her.
That is right.

China does not know even what China itself thinks!

Don't pretend you know.

I am sire you also know nothing.

Are you She Jumping's confidential secretary or adviser?
 
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ice berg

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That is right.

China does not know even what China itself thinks!

Don't pretend you know.

I am sire you also know nothing.

Are you She Jumping's confidential secretary or adviser?
About as much as your are a condidential secretary of Madame Sonja, I guess. :p
 

Ray

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About as much as your are a condidential secretary of Madame Sonja, I guess. :p
No, we have a free press and a free internet.

A world of difference!

We are exposed to the world without fetters and not have to rely on being parrots of Govt propaganda as in China!
 

Yusuf

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Try not to pretend you know what China thinks. You dont speak for her.
Nope said on this forum by a Chini that any naval action will be replied by sending a volley of missiles into naval bases. The context was India but I guess it includes the US too.
 

huaxia rox

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Here it the official version:
by 'fly over' i was implying 'bomb the shit out of them'........when would that happen??? waiting for iran or nk to fight the 1st shot??? you know those things are not made for doing the job of u2 dont you?
 

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