Posted on 07/21/2003 3:29:31 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Communist China's first locally produced "Aegis" Destroyer was launched in Shanghai, the Hong Kong Tai Yang Bao reports. The warship is designed to be equipped with an advanced radar system, stealth design, a vertical launch system, and long-range anti-aircraft missiles to fill in for the Red Chinese Navy's gaps in launching seaborne long- and medium-range antiaircraft attacks. It is expected that the destroyer will be officially integrated into the South Sea Fleet three to five years from now. The development of the destroyer indicates that Communist China has made far reaching progress in shipbuilding technology over the past 20 years, as the Red Chinese Navy is moving towards the stage of building itself into a blue water oceanic fleet. The homemade "Aegis" destroyers may not be operational before 2005 because verification of the destroyers' current computer integrated technology capability - specifically the ability to process a huge amount of signals needed to meet the needs of the phased-array radar systems - has yet to be completed.
June 12:
In early June, a Communist Chinese artillery brigade, under the command of the Beijing Military Region, successfully launched a military exercise utilizing information warfare in a tactical context, reports the People's Liberation Army Daily. In line with actual combat requirements, the brigade's control center organized a network-based exercise with a focus on resisting the enemy's electronic jamming and air raids, as well as engaging in psychological warfare. The brigade also organized anti-aircraft operation training as well as successfully conducted counter-hacking training and information warfare by penetrating the network-based antivirus of the opposition. In 2003, the brigade organized more than 20 information warfare drills on simulated battlefields.
In an analysis of the potential "dim" outcome of a unilateral US military campaign in Iraq, the official Chinese People's Daily surmises that the US lacks the money to successfully prosecute the war and its aftermath single-handedly. The paper cites economic factors that could hamper a long-term operation, including the US - all-time high - trade deficit of $435 billion in 2002 [Editor: around $100 billion of the deficit was with Communist China]. In addition, the US budget deficit is over $300 billion and growing and in 2002, the US current account deficit reached an all-time high of $504 billion. These factors added to the cost of the war and the post-war reconstruction could have a negative toll on the US economy. The paper also points out that the first Gulf War would have been impossible to finance without the support of Saudi Arabia, Germany and Japan. The report quoted the London Economist magazine stating that in opposition to the war, most US allies would not be as willing to donate financial resources to the war effort.
Yup. ...and, there are other things 'out-there' too. Sheee.
How long does it take a country who can't separate a fourth stage or achieve syncronized orbit to develop MIRVs and a neutron bomb? Answer: how many years are there in two presidential terms?
yitbos
As regards this new ship, which in fact does represent a generation jump in the last 2-3 years, compare their new AEGIS destroyer with our very latest Burke AEGIS destroyer. See any similarities?
New Type 052C PLAN Anti-Air DDG
Latest U.S. Navy Burke Class AEGIS DDG
Don't let ANYONE tell you that the Clinton Admin didn't sell us down the tubes. The PLAN was twenty five to thirty years behind us in technology and anything approaching our capability in 1993. Now, they are building these as fast as they can. They put out two of the general combatanbts last year and have already launched one of these this year. Probably shooting for a two a year production rate at the current time.
Even with that, without some very serious technological advantage, like some sort of super-supercavitating weapon to take on our carriers like I describe in:
The Dragon's Fury Series
A Series about World War III
...they will still not be capable of achieving their regional or global goal against the U.S. Navy. We siply are too large and have too much experience, and with the CBG's and our submarines, have an unassailable edge.
But, the way they are building up and moving forward though, I have to wonder if they don't have something like that up their sleave. IMHO, we must remain vigilant and confront the growing threat that the PRC represents...and stop funding them in their military buildup.
Best Fregards.
The Chinese have progressed from 1950-1960 class destroyers since that time to very modern destroyers now. They did it with the pilfering of, and out and out gift of technology under the Clinton administration. And this is just in the Naval area. They have done the same thing in many, many other areas, including their nuclear ballistic missile program.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.