Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

text with map: Chinese Navy helicopters and special operations for the exercise.

Chinese navy’s strategic task in the next roughly covers three levels: the coastal defense (yellow water), protection of territorial waters and territorial integrity and interests (green water) and ensure the smooth flow of China’s maritime lifeline (blue water )

“International Herald Tribune ‘Fujian freelance writer Lvzheng Tao Some observers from the bottom of the whole turbulent 2011, the situation in the South China Sea and the United States linked to the layout of the Asia-Pacific swing. Analysis, the construction of the Chinese navy has entered a crucial period of transformation, and the “blue army” all efforts are dedicated to winning the most likely future outbreak of local wars at sea.

the most likely direction of ocean war

just entered a new century and early in the first few years, the PLA in the army launched a range of reform movement, the core theme of the Navy, Air Force and Second Artillery put on the more important building agenda. Since then, it has become a People’s Liberation Army Navy building to enhance the overall strength of the priority development.

recent years, with the rapid growth of China’s comprehensive national strength, China’s national interests are increasingly the focus of interest shifted from the survival benefits of development. China is increasingly recognized to 18,000 km of coastline and more than 300 million square kilometers of sea area, it is important to maintain the development of China where the security barrier and resources to defend the interests of the great ocean first task naturally fell on the shoulders of the Navy.

from the external point of view, recent past, the strategic situation in Asia Pacific and China’s maritime security environment in general is not very stable and optimistic. Direction, especially in the South China Sea, from 2010, China has maritime territorial disputes with Southeast Asian countries have made territorial claims to the Chinese, and to develop the Navy, tried to force to compete with China in the South China Sea trend.

July of this year, Vietnam and Russia signed the purchase of six diesel-electric submarines of the contract, Vietnamese Defense Minister’s speech in August it clear that in the next six years to build into a “South China Sea region’s most strong, “the submarine force to” defend sea power “for China’s intentions very clear. Philippines also announced in September this year, a $ 118 million naval equipment procurement plan to meet the South China Sea on the “territorial defense needs.”

At the same time, the United States to contain China needs to accelerate the return to the layout of the Asia-Pacific, and straightforward to claim that we should address China’s “Air Sea Battle” combat ideas implemented. In November, U.S. troops in Darwin, Australia to establish military bases in Hong Kong, Singapore Changi naval base in the deployment of new warships, to create a bridgehead steps to contain China Sea has become increasingly clear.

In addition, the direction of the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait, the direction of China’s traditional strategy of tension has always existed.

Some analysts believe that a big country like China, the future of the continent has little possibility of air and land battles, the rise of China in the road outside the military if you encounter resistance and friction, then the most likely to erupt conflict should be the first Asia-Pacific Central China Sea area.

strategy based on internal and external demand, the PLA Navy’s position and in an increasingly important role on the construction of China’s naval planning and investment intentions are even more force.

have confidence to win a local war at sea

as the U.S. and Japan and some other traditional power and China’s neighboring countries have some security of Chinese-made pressure China’s maritime security environment variables continued to grow. Analysts believe that, from a strategic global point of view, this is not a bad thing, the Chinese navy over the past decade’s rapid development and growth is largely based on this external pressure.

over the past decade, the Chinese Navy is through a variety of ways to enhance their overall strength, every step of the development of the Chinese Navy revolve around a very clear goal is to win a fight future local war at sea . So, now that the Chinese navy’s strength today? Ability to perform such a goal? The answer is self-confident.

First, the weapons, the Chinese navy’s getting more and more emboldened. In the 1990s the Chinese Navy destroyers and frigates in the area of ??strength is still very weak, can only cover the range of land-based fighter combat mission. Currently, equipped with medium-range air defense missile and air defense capability with the limited area of ??the “modern” class destroyers and made new destroyer, not only with other large ocean-going ships together to form mixed fleet, but also ships with a small composition in offshore operations Cluster-based battle group, and even, where necessary, can also rely on its own ship-based weapon combat missions independently.

in accordance with the present pace of development in order to “Chiang Kai” class frigate frigates and made a new main destroyer in the next 10 years to replace the most active old destroyer, the sea combat strength, more flexible.

Chinese submarine force has in recent years rapid development, quality and quantity are improved rapidly. Advanced “business” class and “Gem” class submarine has entered a mature stage of application and quantities of equipment. The “Kilo” class as the representative of new conventional submarines has reached a scale and standardization.

especially the Chinese Navy sea-based nuclear forces in the building doing well, where “Gem” class SSBN powerful, complete set of “waves -2″ submarine-launched missile system is growing rapidly. Known as the “aircraft carrier killer” known as “East Wind-21″ anti-ship missiles, rapid development has attracted the attention of the West.

since August this year, China’s successful transformation of the former Soviet Union “Varyag” was already launched two successful airworthiness, which is the embodiment of China’s naval modernization. December 11 of the trials, the aircraft carrier-based aircraft F -15 and had a “first intimate contact.” The F -15 aircraft carrier is comparable to the Western media as a Russian-made Su-33, US-made “Super Hornet” advanced carrier-based aircraft.

addition, the Chinese navy also adhere to the “going out” strategy, a comprehensive training team to beat. Senior Chinese navy has said that to achieve the Navy’s “ocean-going training of normalization.”

November this year, China’s elite forces across the North Sea Fleet Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan, 100 km east of the high seas, training in the Pacific Ocean, which is in June this year, the Chinese navy to two times through the first island chain in the Western Pacific’s military training and exercises. Chinese Navy also completed this year, the Gulf of Aden to escort the ninth, tenth Fleet escort task transfer, foreign merchant ships in the convoy, to combat piracy in the accumulation of practical experience.

strategic task of the Chinese Navy in the next three Chinese navy was established, the task for the mission, the scope of combat capability and operational considerations, an adherence to the “coastal defense” thinking. “Coastal defense” thought and the early days of the war more real and close with naval power played a significant role. But in fact, “coastal defense” thinking to a considerable extent or a Marine mentality, and not a strict sense of the naval strategy.

into the 1980s, with the comprehensive combat capability of the Navy to enhance the expansion and functions of the mission, when he was Chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping proposed the “offshore operations” of strategic thinking as a basis, the Navy proposed the “active defense, offshore operations,” the strategic guidelines, and finally condensed to “offshore defense” strategy, from a “coastal defense” to “offshore defense” conversion.

nearly three decades, the Chinese navy to pursue a “coastal defense” strategy guide, this strategy guide is also on the construction and development of the Chinese Navy has played a significant role in promoting and facilitating. Admiral Liu Huaqing, former commander of the Navy had “the future of naval warfare and naval strategy,” the report “offshore defense” strategy gives a clear exposition.

according to Liu explains that “offshore defense” strategy is defensive in nature first, regardless of the development of the Chinese Navy to the extent, nature of naval defense strategy will not change. “Coastal defense” strategic task is to achieve and maintain national unity, territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests to defend, to cope with possible local war at sea, the enemy may contain and defensive aggression from the sea, support and participate in national socialist construction.

“offshore defense” strategy defined the scope of the Navy’s defense, the first island chain within the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea area. Once the war-related areas have occurred, the Navy should be able to seize and maintain the command of the sea in coastal waters, in the necessary time to effectively control the waters connected with China’s important sea lanes in the adjacent sea area with the China Sea to conduct operations, while a strong maritime nuclear counterattack capability.

with the external strategic environment of constant change and expansion of China’s national interests demand, especially in the past two decades, the Chinese navy in combat theory, weapons and equipment, research training, and naval battle so the construction of an integrated package forward, the Chinese navy from “offshore defense” to “sea defense” transformation seems to have become a historical necessity.

Overall, the Chinese navy’s strategic task in the next roughly covers three levels, namely, coastal defense (yellow water), protection of territorial waters and territorial integrity and interests (green water) and ensure that China’s maritime lifeline The flow (blue water).

a military comments that, in the next period of time, the construction of China’s naval forces will be the main idea is to consolidate the coastal defense at the same time, the defense in depth ocean waters to advance.

powerful navy long and muddy road

the pace of China’s naval modernization has been deeply concerned about the United States, Japan and other countries, the Chinese navy to sea every , U.S. and Japanese vessels and planes will lead to the track.

famous American intellectual Kuhatesen Washington Institute senior fellow Richard Weitz’s article in last year concluded that, in recent years, written by the Pentagon all open and secret on China’s military report documents, there is one of the most significant common ground, that highlighted the growing Chinese naval power. Pentagon’s 2011 introduction of the latest annual report on Chinese military power, unprecedented even set up a separate “Chinese naval strategy” and “special theme.”

Chinese navy is rapidly developing, but it must be noted that the Chinese navy, after all, is a rising star, relative to the United States, Japan and other traditional maritime powers, the Chinese Navy is still a long way to go, and the road will not Taiping.

military experts believe the United States, although the size of the Chinese navy and the quality of weapons and equipment are gradually entering the ranks of world powers, but the ability to organize a joint maritime operations, command and control communications systems, military computers, monitors and reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities and software such as the United States there is a big gap.

domestic experts, weapons and equipment compared to the gap with the West, people’s awareness of sea power and maritime operational concept is more behind. In addition, China’s navy still an important missing items, this is the lack of overseas naval base, which largely limits the Chinese Navy’s supply capacity and endurance.

the rise of the Chinese Navy is still a long and muddy road, but it is believed that the more muddy road, the more deep footprints left behind.