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

Data Figure: U.S. Navy combat aircraft carrier battle group data for: 022 new Chinese navy missile boats designed for a surprise attack large warships.

Editor’s note as the world’s most powerful military force with the two countries in the Pacific, the United States and China’s naval power stacks up big? For this problem, mixed views among experts in the country. U.S. “diplomat,” U.S. Naval War College magazine recently published an article, said James Holmes, evaluate the strength of naval power between the two countries need to tradeoff size and firepower and many other indicators, rather than only be assessed on the number of . After the comprehensive comparison articles that the U.S. Navy’s combat power at present equally matched, neither a decisive advantage over the other. WASHINGTON text, a reference work.

newspaper special compilation Jia Ye

In retrospect, it probably will in December 2004 to January 2005 along the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean tsunami that field as U.S. Navy forces in Asia is a “pinnacle”, a powerful military force in this U.S. Navy humanitarian relief in other countries to play a significant role can not match. Looked at in the cruisers, destroyers and frigates, surrounded under the long-range strike aircraft carrier battle group and battle group in the helicopter took off from the deck frequently, and from ships and shore bases between the rescue and help rescue the drowning person and the timely delivery of medical and rescue personnel , express a moral absolute rule of force and a good atmosphere between the past, the two are rarely together. At this point, the purpose of humanitarian relief operations, but in a short time to mobilize a large number of warships and aircraft carriers, hundreds of miles across the ocean with the fastest speed of the tsunami disaster site, the use of these skills and equipment are actually only in combat in order to see. This rescues conveys the real message is: let the world witness the unparalleled strength of the U.S. Navy.

However, the new U.S. security researcher Robert Kaplan Foundation, said the author, this aura is now being concealed, as one can see, almost 60 years after the loss of full domination of the advantages of the West Pacific and Indian Oceans no longer belongs only to the U.S., “exclusive” and “water playground.” According to some private think tanks, strategic security analyst forecast, according to the present situation continues, just a few years later, the U.S. Navy in the waters of Southeast Asia will no longer play a unique repeat of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster relief efforts of the “peak moment . ” The next burst in the next disaster, the U.S. Navy ships will have to and from Australia, Japan, Korea, India and China’s new “big deck surface ships,” sharing control and glory. In all of this happened at the same time, China’s submarine production and deployment of the United States several times. In fact, China is in the construction and deployment of state of high-speed vessels, which will result in the number of the PLA Navy’s ships in the next decade sometime leapfrogged the U.S. Navy. Although the number is this grand move a small part of symbol. However, these numbers but it is real.

the U.S. military is confident

the face of which country has the strongest navy fleet problems, even the analysts proficient in naval affairs can not consensus, which is a calm awareness. Recently, the new U.S. security expert Robert Kaplan Center for Strategic Studies in the “Washington Post” the author said, the Chinese built the “world’s second largest after the U.S. Navy’s naval forces.”

with In contrast, other well-known commentators have insisted that in fact the PLA Navy now has the world’s largest fleet. For example, in September this year the British “Economist” magazine published an article entitled “gaze Navy,” the article, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said that China now has the number of ships over the United States.

then experienced U.S. defense officials have to compare the two naval combat power and reliable formula? The answer is: Not necessarily. In May this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the Naval Association, can be given on a large scale and reflects the strength of the U.S. Navy statistics. U.S. Navy “has 11 large aircraft carriers, no country can match it with the ship.” U.S. Navy “has 57 nuclear attack submarines with cruise missiles – more than the sum of the number of submarines the rest of the world even more.” Moreover, “according to a recent assessment, the U.S. combat fleet is the total displacement of at least 13 countries ranked in the subsequent displacement of the sum of the Navy’s combat fleet.”

Hyde Naval Operations Adm. Lugar said recently in Canberra, even after the water carrier in China, the PLA Navy will take several years to master the aircraft carrier battle group combat tactics and processes. That is, if the Navy aircraft carrier battle force operations is reflected the gold standard, then Beijing to grasp the advantages of the Navy needs to go a long way.

data are not reliable

However, false assumptions can lead to the wrong strategy.

So, how can we correctly assess the Navy’s combat power? Obviously the number of combat platform is a need to consider factors, but data is not the only force fighting the fleet passed out information so simple. According to some Western experts calculations, the PLA Navy now has a total of 1045 kinds of vessels, almost twice the U.S. Navy ships available. From the Navy register data, the U.S. Navy are currently 287 ships, including 257 full members, but also good in combat readiness. In addition, there are 163 U.S. civilian non-combatants with the ship deployed for the U.S. Military Sealift Command (of which 51 running somewhat less). Twenty-two adding that U.S. policymakers can deploy a total of 450 ships.

However, these two sets of data obtained by the PLA Navy’s combat capability for the U.S. Navy’s combat power twice, is clearly meaningless. In fact, thousands of ships in China, including supervision of ships, ocean surveillance ships and tugs, not to mention which also includes the role of modern naval warfare is not the old punt.

then, Gates used “tonnage” as a reliable indicator of overall strength, the effect of what should be done? If this is really feasible, then Denmark’s Maersk Line will have a magnificent even than the U.S. Navy’s fleet of. Maersk Line fleet of more than 500 container vessels, consisting of “the world’s largest container ship” – a deadweight of 156,907 tons of “爱玛马士基” container ship, far more than “Ronald Reagan” nuclear-powered aircraft carrier displacement – “Reagan” aircraft carrier of the displacement of 98,235 tons.

even in ships among the displacement is only a rough measure. Spanish Armada in this respect far beyond the British navy, and in 1588 invaded the British Isles, the Armada commander 梅迪纳西多尼 Asia Duke was found in the range of their heavy ships, weapons, and are down on the number of under the wind.

According to historians Bidepade Rumsfeld estimated Battle Armada, the British Admiral Admiral C · F · Howard and Drake led the fleet occupied the “two to one.” decisive advantage. Although the displacement is less than the enemy, but the British warships occupy a more important firepower advantage. Assuming an “Iowa” class ships (now retired) and now to the main ship DDG-51 “Arleigh Burke” class Aegis guided missile destroyer battle, then there is no doubt, “Arleigh Burke” class destroyers are always winner. Long-range anti-ship missiles will be overcome quickly, “Iowa” battleship displacement advantage, unless the latter managed to enter within the effective range. “Iowa” class warships full load displacement of 58,000 tons, and the latest DDG-51 destroyer displacement of 9494 tons.

to deduct

situation is the Chinese Navy is no different. They rely on small, flexible, fast attack boats firepower against the enemy to win the mainland coastal sea. Displacement of about 220 tons of 022-type catamaran missile boats, warships designed for large-scale raid. The class missile boats equipped with long-range anti-ship cruise missiles, compared to displacement, to highlight its attack much. Activities near the Chinese coast of the U.S. Navy forces, we must have the courage to endure such boats as the 022 attacks.

In this case, the displacement is not everything. When considered in isolation, the strength of resources is another cause miscalculation of data. Authoritative data, a total of 329,000 troops the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps a total of 202,000 troops. This is almost twice the strength of the Chinese Navy. However, the Navy’s combat power depends on the operational environment.

Therefore, displacement of human and warships, as measured, can only come to this conclusion: Large ships can carry more ammunition and fuel missile, defense capability will be higher, the long-range combat capability and anti-strike capability will be stronger. Gates may want to pass this information. However, this is not the iron rule. Shipbuilding and weapons development to make things happen major changes.

naval combat power on all of these considerations will depend on another key factor – the conflict occurred. Because the Navy between the few (if possible) will play against each other the power of military dumping, especially not by the land-based, air-, sea-based missile weapons to strengthen combat capabilities as well as in the case. Therefore, a fleet of only a specific place on the map than the other side can win.

not occupy a decisive advantage

if this is in the territorial waters within, then the defensive side will stay ahead. 1890s, the author of sea power on the Alfred Seye Ma Han urged the United States can build a master of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, waters of the United States over violations of the most powerful opponents (perhaps the UK or Germany), Fleet . He said: “maximum attack power is the biggest target of a fleet of warships” in the United States needs a battle to “stand and launch a fierce fight,” the main fleet.

Today, China’s maritime strategy is also guided by similar logic. From Beijing’s perspective, the PLA Navy has just enough very important waters (most notably the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea) won its challenge to the ability of the conflict at sea. Want to achieve this goal, the Chinese need to win the United States and its allies Japan and other warships of the naval arms race.

as long as the People’s Liberation Army Navy to ensure that its own shore-based aircraft, small surface and underwater warfare platform and anti-ship missiles within range of fire fighting, then these weapons are an integral part of the overall strength of the fleet. Gates said the U.S. nuclear submarine fleet could launch a remote attack, but the PLA Navy has a larger submarine fleet, the best potential in China’s coastal waters – the future of Sino-US conflict may break out at the sea. This means that if the U.S. Pacific Fleet does not venture into the Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles, its offensive power can not play a role.

so, what the U.S. and China what the weak strong navy? The answer is: “hard to compete.” China and the U.S. who has the largest naval fleet is not important – important question is whether, in the critical water and Allied Joint Operations, who would have a more robust combat capability.

major warships by drawing both graphs the total inventory, the British International Institute for Strategic Studies of the research may be the closest to accurately assess the results, it is estimated that at least try to combat potential, calculate the optimal deployment location of the ship, to determine the result of a war fleet. Nevertheless, gathering comprehensive data on the composition of the fleet still can not be replaced, which should take into account political, strategic and specific geographical area of ??Asia. Although the Navy has two large advantages, but they are not clear and decisive advantage.

Currently, the U.S. Center for Strategic Studies of the new security experts Robert Kaplan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave rise to a debate, debate and other countries to evaluate China’s sea power on the valuable lesson. Analysts can not rely on those over-or underestimate the Chinese navy’s modernization process indicators. The formation of the PLA Navy and the complexity of the challenges is not the language to describe the activity or to predict.

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