China is readying its first aircraft carrier and it is likely to be commissioned before the year is out. The warship is a Soviet era Varyag aircraft carrier, which China procured from Ukraine in 1998 in a half complete condition. Berthed at Dalian port in northeast China, it has undergone extensive refurbishing over the past nine years.
Taiwan’s defence ministry and Taiwan’s spy chief, Tsai Teh-sheng, who broke the ‘news’, have expectedly sounded alarm bells over Beijing’s naval build up. Both have reasons to view Communist China’s first aircraft carrier as a threat to the stability of Taiwan but such a view may be alarmist given the gradual easing of tensions between Taipei and the mainland. Since becoming President, Ma Ying-jeou has lived upto the promise of being China-friendly and adopted a non-confrontational policy towards the mainland. Now all that may change with a new arms race in place. Taiwan is responding to the aircraft carrier threat with its own ‘stealth’ warship armed with guided-missiles; it will be ready next year.
In so far the neighbours are concerned, well, they have reasons to be apprehensive and hope that Beijing will not indulge in any adventure that will dent its new found global respectability as an economic power in its own right.
Chinese jets modelled on Russian made SU-33s will be based on Varyag. There is no clarity as to the number of jets. It is possible that People’s Liberation Army of China will take time to operate Varyag with its full complement of fighter jets.
China’s navy is also going in for a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine, Type 094 and the 093 nuclear attack submarine. This is a step towards acquiring a seaborne nuclear deterrent. The new submarines will also be capable of performing conventional strike and other special warfare requirements. Its eight new kilo class submarines are mostly berthed at a new base on the tropical island of Hainan. China has in all more than 60 submarines, 26 destroyers, 49 frigates, 27 large landing ships, 31 medium landing ships and 200 plus fast attack craft.
As it celebrated its 60th anniversary (April 23) with a display of YJ-62 naval cruise missile, the Chinese navy has clearly identified a three-fold long term goals. One protection of sea lines that bring in the energy imports. Two defence of maritime interests in the territorial waters, disputed waters and beyond, which in essence means active off-shore defence. Third and most important assertion of China’s new status on the global scene. Already China is patrolling the Gulf of Aden, to protect its merchant vessels from piracy
The growth of Chinese navy is directly related to the strategy for the ‘green water’ from Vladivostok to the Strait of Malacca, and the first island chain (these are a series of islands that stretch from Japan in the north, to Taiwan, and Philippines to the south – namely Aleutians, Kuriles, Ryukyus, Taiwan, Philippines, and Greater Sunda islands), and the second island chain (Bonins, Guam, Marianas, and Palau islands) by the mid-21st century. It has three major fleets (North Sea, East Sea, and South Sea Fleets), an aviation arm, and marine units. Fleets are strategically located to the north in Qingdao, to the east in Ningbo, and to the south in Zhanjiang–providing the Chinese Navy with direct access to the Yellow Sea, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea respectively.
Each fleet consists of a number of major and minor bases, a naval air arm, and coastal-defence regions. South Sea Fleet units also include the Marine Force and its associated amphibious lift. Major surface combatant shipyards are located in Dalian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hudong. The Wuhan shipyard is responsible for conventional submarine construction; nuclear-powered attack and ballistic-missile submarines are built at the Huladao shipyard.
The 7,000-strong Chinese Naval Marine Force is geared to safeguarding China’s island holdings in the South China Sea during times of peace and to seize and defend islands in the South China Sea during times of war. It is also equipped for amphibious raids with amphibious tanks and armoured personnel carriers, howitzers, and multiple rocket launchers. Its Jingsah-class air cushion hybrid aircraft can cruise one meter above the water at speeds of 120 knots or more.
.
China watchers aver that while developing indigenous technology, Chinese navy will look for the acquisition of advanced technology from Israel and France besides the US for its modernisation. For instance, the navy’ air wing lack an aerial-refuelling capability and modern radars providing force protection or supporting over-the-horizon targeting. Surface ship requirements include acquisition of modern multiwarfare capable hulls, antisubmarine warfare systems and weapons, medium-range air defence systems, and electronic-warfare systems. Submarine modernization requirements include acquisition of improved quieting technology and replacement of aging conventional and nuclear-powered submarines.
-By M RAMA RAO with reports from various sources
