Posted on 11/21/2004 11:45:29 AM PST by TapTheSource
China Rapidly Modernizes for War With U.S.
Alexandr Nemets Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004
During the last several months, there have been numerous hints in the Chinese and Taiwanese media indicating that war is more likely than believed here in the West.
Some strategists suggest that the 2008 Olympics scheduled for Beijing constitute a key benchmark, after which a war may be possible. However, it is clear that both nations are preparing for a conflict in the near term, and that 2008 may not be as pivotal as some experts believe.
In fact, China’s media have been repeating the mantra in their news reports that the People’s Liberation Army is preparing to gain a victory in this “internal military conflict in a high-tech environment.”
Chinese war planners have studied carefully the recent U.S.-Iraq War, a war that demonstrated to PLA strategists that U.S. military might is derived from its technological superiority.
China’s military experts conducted similar studies after America’s first Gulf War. One military study written by two Chinese colonels entitled “Unrestricted Warfare” suggested that China could not compete with America’s technological prowess.
Instead, China had to develop “asymmetrical” warfare to defeat the U.S. in any conflict.
Interestingly, “Unrestricted Warfare” became an instant best seller in China after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In the 1998 book, the Chinese colonels suggested that a successful bombing by Osama bin Laden of the World Trade Center would be an example of this new “unrestricted warfare” concept.
Apparently, China feels much better positioned after the recent Iraq War and wants to challenge the U.S. on a technological level.
Almost instantly after the Iraq War, in May 2003, China’s President and Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao declared at the party’s Politburo meeting the necessity of “active support of national defense and modernization of the army.”
Hu emphasized the need for further integrating information technology (IT) into the PLA and mobilizing China’s entire scientific and technological potential for PLA’s needs.
As a result, the PLA’s modernization in these areas has accelerated significantly.
Since the second half of 2003, the PLA has been engaged in the latest stage of its RMA – Revolution in Military Affairs – program, which was officially announced by the chairman of China Central Military Commission, Jiang Zemin, in his speech on Sept. 1, 2003.
He emphasized that that PLA should transform itself into a “smaller and much smarter science- and technology-based army.”
Jiang defined the major tasks of new PLA reform as follows:
Reducing PLA’s ranks, primarily ground forces, by 200,000.
Maximizing IT and other advanced technologies – including nanotechnologies, space technologies, electromagnetic weapons, etc.
Improving the educational and qualitative training of PLA servicemen.
Transforming the PLA into an “army of one” that is comparatively smaller and of very high quality, similar to the U.S. Army.
Acquiring the most advanced weaponry.
The Russia Connection
During 2003 and 2004, Russia – jointly with Belarus and Ukraine – has been a major source of advanced weapons for the PLA.
According to official figures from Russia’s weapons export state monopoly, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s total weapons export in 2003 approached $5.7 billion, making Russia the second largest arms exporter after the U.S. (Please note that China is arguably the leading arms exporter in quantity of arms transported, as its weaponry is considerably less expensive than that of the U.S.)
China has purchased 38 percent of Russian arms exports, or around $2.2 billion.
If one takes into account the weapons deliveries from Belarus and Ukraine to China, along with “double use” nuclear and space technologies supplied by Russia to China, then Chinese real arms imports from greater Russia would, in my estimation, be $4 billion.
Clearly, Russia and her allies have been a huge factor supporting the PLA in its rapid modernization and planned confrontation with the U.S.
3-Pronged Strategy
The PLA has been following its “three-way policy” of advanced weapons acquisition.
This three-pronged strategy calls for China to gain technologically advanced weaponry through (1) imports, (2) joint (Chinese-foreign) weapons R&D, and (3) independent weapons R&D within China.
The details of this mechanism were given in the article “China’s military affairs in 2003,” published by the Taiwanese journal Zhonggong yanjiu (China Communism Research) in February 2004.
According to Taiwanese experts, though weapons import and joint R&D still play the major role in PLA modernization, the role of “independent R&D” has been increasing gradually.
Appointed in March 2003, new Chinese Defense Minister (former chief of Defense Ministry’s Armament Division) Col.-Gen. Cao Gangchuan was personally in charge of this work.
He has tried to decrease China’s dependence on Russian arms and increase the share of advanced weapons imports from Germany, France and Israel.
China also is engaged in joint weapons R&D projects with EU and NATO countries, including R&D of mid-range air-to-air missiles and highly precise satellite positioning (Galileo project).
The Air Force
China believes that in a conflict with Taiwan, air dominance will be key to a quick victory.
The PLA has been beefing up its PLA Air Force (PLAAF) and aircraft troops of the PLA Navy (PLAN).
Reportedly, by the end of February 2004, the PLAAF purchased from Russia 76 SU-30 MKK fighters belonging to the advanced “4 plus” generation.
PLAN air troops obtained 24 even more advanced SU-30 MKK fighters.
There is no data regarding future deliveries of the “finished” SU-30 from Russia to China; however, the Chinese aircraft industry is more or less capable now of producing the SU-30 as well as other fighters belonging to the fourth generation, or close to this level.
Dramatic modernization of China’s First Aviation Industry Corp., or AVIC-1, from 2001 to 2004, is of principal importance here (the data in this account are given in the above-mentioned article in the Zhonggong yanjiu journal).
Four major companies are developing China’s jet-manufacturing capability. Interestingly, each of these companies recently underwent radical modernization and upgrading, including advanced equipment obtained from Europe’s Airbus, claiming the help is for “cooperation in passenger aircraft production.”
Shenyang Aircraft Corp. continued, in the past year, to produce SU-27 SK (J-11) heavy fighters from Russian kits at a rate of at least 25 units annually, and the share of Chinese-made components surpassed 70 percent.
The same company now prepares SU-30 MKK (J-11A) fighters for manufacturing.
In the frame of “independent R&D” within China, the Chengdu Aircraft Corp. has mastered the serial production of medium J-10 fighters and FC-1 light fighters. These planes reportedly can match the U.S. F-16 fighter.
Here are some other developments in China’s air wing:
Guizhou Aircraft Corp. developed the advanced Shanying fighter-trainer, while Xian Aircraft Corp. mostly finished developing the new generation of FBC-1 (JH-7) long-range fighter-bomber, which became known as JH-7A.
Other enterprises, belonging to AVIC-1, mastered production of KAB-500 guided bombs and several kinds of air-to-air and air-to ground missiles.
By the end of 2003, the new generation of Flying Leopard, i.e., JH-7A, was being tested. This fighter-bomber’s weapons include new air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles of beyond-vision range, guided bombs, etc. This aircraft is adapted for anti-radar reconnaissance, effective low-altitude strikes against large naval vessels, and general strikes of ground-based and naval targets.
By the end of 2004, as a result of supply from Russia and increased fighter production at AVIC-1 subsidiaries, the number of advanced fighters of various kinds in PLAN air troops and the PLAAF – including SU-27 (J-11), SU-30 (J-11A), J-10, FC-1, Shanying, FBC-1 (JH-7) and JH-7A – could surpass an estimated 400 units. The Sea Component
China also sees its navy as critical in any successful assault on Taiwan.
The PLA Navy (PLAN) has numerous Chinese-Russian projects under way this year and next, including:
Purchase of two Russian Sovremenny destroyers, equipped with improved ship-to-ship supersonic cruise missiles (SSM) Sunburn 3M80MBE of 240 km range. Initially, Sunburn had a range of 160 km. However, in 2001-2003, Raduga Design Bureau in Dubna (about 150 km north of Moscow) designed, under PLAN’s orders, a much more lethal version of SSM.
Very probably, serial production of new SSM would be mastered in China, so it would be installed on two Sovremenny destroyers, purchased by PLAN in 1999-2000, on Chinese-built Luhu- and Luhai-class destroyers as well as Jiangwei-class frigates. According to media reports in the Hong Kong and Taiwan media, two new Sovremenny destroyers could be transferred to PLAN before the end of 2005.
Purchase of eight Kilo submarines, equipped by “super-advanced” 3M54E (CLUB-S) submarine-launched anti-ship missiles. In 2003, China already obtained 50 missiles of this kind, which would greatly improve PLAN’s striking capacity. China intends to organize production of these missiles. They probably also could be used on Chinese-built conventional submarines of the Song class.
New Kilo submarines could enter PLAN service in 2005 or the first half of 2006. (Information regarding destroyers and conventional submarines was repeated in several articles in Zhonggong yanjiu in January 2003 through February 2004 and in multiple media reports from Hong Kong during the same period.)
Construction of “093 project” nuclear attack submarines and the “094 project” strategic nuclear submarine, using Russian plans and technology, at Huludao (a port city in northeast Liaoning province) military shipbuilding plant. By the end of 2005, PLAN would have in its service at least two “093 project” and at least one “094 project” nuclear submarines. Reportedly, Russia had to make significant improvements in design and weapons of these submarines, in accordance with Chinese customers’ requirements.
Along with Russian contracts is the construction of a new generation of destroyers, frigates and conventional submarines at modernized shipbuilding plants in Dalian, Shanghai, Qingdao and Wuhan cities. An upgraded PLA could be capable pf establishing sea control around Taiwan in 2008.
Aso important is the fact that both the PLAAF and PLAN would be equipped, by 2008, with perfect military information technology systems, more precisely by C4ISR (command, control, computers, communication, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) systems, which would make the use of the listed weapon systems much more effective.
The delivery of the Kidds has been pushed 2 years ahead because of the whole China-EU thing that's been going around and China's modernization.
The Kidds can be arguably called inferior to China's new generation of warships like the Type-052B & C and the new Sovremenny class destroyers being completed in Russia.The new Sovremennys are have more reduced RCS & have vertically launched SAMs & SSMs,unlike the rather ugly 2 currently in PLAN service.
We can make mainland China explode into a revolution at a time of our choosing. Stroke of a pen, as you say - trade sanctions. Too many people in mainland China know too much to be sent back to the farm...
"We can make mainland China explode into a revolution at a time of our choosing. Stroke of a pen, as you say - trade sanctions. Too many people in mainland China know too much to be sent back to the farm..."
We could only hope. I'd prefer a full scale civil war though. Something so vicious that both sides get desperate and end up expending China's entire nuclear/chemical/biological arsenal on each other, wiping out all free trader investments in the process.
"We can make mainland China explode into a revolution at a time of our choosing. Stroke of a pen, as you say - trade sanctions. Too many people in mainland China know too much to be sent back to the farm..."
We could only hope. I'd prefer a full scale civil war though. Something so vicious that both sides get desperate and end up expending China's entire nuclear/chemical/biological arsenal on each other, wiping out all free trader investments in the process.
North Korea canot be trusted, Kim Jong Il is a brat who has never shown any restraint, from kidnapping and actress, blowing up airliners, bombings, assassinations. We should never tolerate their being in a position to fire an ICBM, if we see preparations for a test launch we should send in cruise missiles. If they want to escalate, then we escalate all the way. No need to wipe out the entire population, but Pyongyang should be annihilated. he has about 200,000 people in forced labor camps, they can be the core of a new state. They will be ruthless in wiping out the communists, like the Kurds in Iraq would be if we let them go after Baathists, like in Mosul.
I don't think directly lifting systems from SSNs to SSKs has been an exact success.For eg,the Australian Swedish built Collins class subs used an American combat system(derivative of the one on LA class boats)-but soon after commisioning,the boats experienced severe problems as the combat system had the same power requirement as an SSN.The whole series was then subjected to an upgrade where their weapon systems were tweaked ,barely 4 years after entering service.Sonar systems could also have the same issues.The Question is whether the US is willing to risk a big investment for just one country's sake-remember the USN has no plans for anything other than N-boats.Israel won't need new subs for another 20 years(if they do get 2 more German boats) & most American allies like South Korea,Australia,Singapore etc have all recently brought subs or built them under license.So the issue of long term cost is important.
Diesel engines are not exactly a big factor on such boats,but their batteries are & the Russian & German batteries are damn quiet.The conventional D/E boat is close to being obsolete with the arrival of AIP-air independent propulsion.In this a sub uses an alternative power source like fuel cells or liquid oxygen for vastly improved underwater operations.Germany,Sweden,France & Russia have all unveiled different AIP systems.Germany's new Type-212/214 class boats can stay under for nearly 4 weeks ,while AIP equipped Kilos can do about 15+days.A conventional Kilo could barely manage 2 days.In a constrained location like the Taiwan straits & South China Sea & the possibility of any Sino-Taiwanese conflict being short, AIP equipped subs become vital.China is acquiring 6 brand new Kilo class subs all equipped with AIP & sub launched cruise missiles.
Australia's Collins class boats are of Swedish design & were built under license by the Australian Submarine corporation.
"No need to wipe out the entire population, but Pyongyang should be annihilated. he has about 200,000 people in forced labor camps, they can be the core of a new state. They will be ruthless in wiping out the communists, like the Kurds in Iraq would be if we let them go after Baathists, like in Mosul."
I think the population has been too far reduced to sheeple to be of use to themselves or anyone. It would remain a starving nation of welfare recipients. Might as well start from scratch and gain ourselves some real estate. Then China and S. Korea can put in bids for territory. Make some good money. I'm not worried about the deaths of millions of athiests, they're all going to hell anyway so might as well just send them there sooner.
5.56mm
Jeff
I think most American bombers including the B-1B & B-2 have been tested with the carriage of Harpoon anti-ship missiles.Moreover, stand-off weapons like the JASSM & the SLAM-ER(of the USN) have a good residual anti-ship capability(somewhat inferior to the Harpoon).These could easily deploy from Guam or even Pearl Harbour ,if not bases in Japan to the Taiwan straits.If a concentrated attack is launched,China's fleet won't have a real chance.But I must add that a subsonic missile like the Harpoon carries a rather small warhead & generates lesser kinetic energy,so the force on impacting a target is usually not great to sink it with one weapon.The same cannot be said of China's SSN-22 Sunburn or it's brand-new Klub cruise missile.Their level of ECCM may not be great when compared to the Harpoon,but their supersonic speed enables them to generate massive KE,causing greater damage at impact.While American ships could technically shoot down these weapons or worse take a hit,Taiwanese ships don't exactly have this luxury.
"The same cannot be said of China's SSN-22 Sunburn or it's brand-new Klub cruise missile.Their level of ECCM may not be great when compared to the Harpoon,but their supersonic speed enables them to generate massive KE,causing greater damage at impact."
As well as giving our Aegis ships less time to effect a defense. If the speed of your enemy's missiles double, then you can only launch half as many SAMs before they reach you.
We owe this huge build-up to Clinton's treachery and to Wal-Mart et al who buy most of their junk for good old US $$ placed on purpose in Chicom hands. What will we do when they eliminate Taiwan permanently and threaten us with multiple atomic warheads mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles or launched from atomic subs off the coast of California? What will we do? They already said they don't care if we A bomb them. They have four times more people than we do and feel they would survive while we would not live through their pre-emptive A bomb attack. What a nervous thought!
The only defensive A weapons are in our hands, not in those of the Japanese and certainly not under Korean control. To put nukes into Taiwan would be the last straw that would break Chicom restraint and war would result. Massive tariffs on Chicom goods would hasten, not deter, Chinese attacks upon us. That's just what triggered the Japanese attacks in the whole Pacific rim in 1941. We cut off their supplies of oil and steel and bam! here came Pearl Harbor and four years of war.
From the standpoint of taking down the world's largest totalitarian state - TRUE.
It will come in our lifetime, and the sooner the better.
The longer we wait, the stronger they get, and the weaker we get.
I just hope Walmart has contingency plans to procure all the neat cheap stuff
we've all grown to require in our pursuit of happiness.
Uh, excuse me. The 'one China policy' has been the policy since Nixon. This administrations only change is that it has been far less ambiguous about our defending Taiwan if it were invaded.
"It will come in our lifetime, and the sooner the better.
The longer we wait, the stronger they get, and the weaker we get."
True. As nasty as it would be, if there is going to be war, better sooner than later.
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.