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4Tran

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I would say China is at minimum 10-15 years in tech behind the US but they are rapidly catching up. In some areas like drones, missiles their at par but China is behind 10-15 years in navy and airforce though
I don't know if this assumption is very likely. While the US has pretty significant advantages in aircraft carriers (and especially carrier operations), and in submarines, the USN's surface vessels are significantly less advanced than PLAN equivalents. The Arleigh Burke Flight III is supposed to be new, but it's not a significant improvement over older Arleigh Burkes and these are very old designs by now. These ships are especially ineffective at the anti=ship role. And less said about the sad state of American frigates the better.
 

PLAwatcher12

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I don't know if this assumption is very likely. While the US has pretty significant advantages in aircraft carriers (and especially carrier operations), and in submarines, the USN's surface vessels are significantly less advanced than PLAN equivalents. The Arleigh Burke Flight III is supposed to be new, but it's not a significant improvement over older Arleigh Burkes and these are very old designs by now. These ships are especially ineffective at the anti=ship role. And less said about the sad state of American frigates the better.
I do agree but I was just giving a rough estimate from what I have seen it’s not supposed to be taken as a fact
 

tamsen_ikard

Senior Member
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I would say China is at minimum 10-15 years in tech behind the US but they are rapidly catching up. In some areas like drones, missiles their at par but China is behind 10-15 years in navy and airforce though
China is not behind in tech. China has a different strategic focus compared to US due to its geopolitical status, regional dynamics and so on. For example, it doesn't make sense for China to develop carriers when their main battlefield is the first island chain. They need to dominate that before they go out with carriers. So, that's why China focuses more on land based air force and missile force. I would say China is far ahead of anyone in the missile force department. They are at par or better in air force tech such as aesa radar, awacs or em warfare.

The things they don't have is the things they don't think they need. So things like carriers, nuclear subs ( china has 50 diesel subs better for 1st island chain) and stealth bombers are things they don't need yet.

Anything that useful in the 1st island chain, china has either equal or better tech. Everything else has lower priority and is being developed at a slower pace.
 

PLAwatcher12

Junior Member
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China is not behind in tech. China has a different strategic focus compared to US due to its geopolitical status, regional dynamics and so on. For example, it doesn't make sense for China to develop carriers when their main battlefield is the first island chain. They need to dominate that before they go out with carriers. So, that's why China focuses more on land based air force and missile force. I would say China is far ahead of anyone in the missile force department. They are at par or better in air force tech such as aesa radar, awacs or em warfare.

The things they don't have is the things they don't think they need. So things like carriers, nuclear subs ( china has 50 diesel subs better for 1st island chain) and stealth bombers are things they don't need yet.

Anything that useful in the 1st island chain, china has either equal or better tech. Everything else has lower priority and is being developed at a slower pace.
In some areas China is, yes the US and China do have different military purposes but they do also have the same. The US leads China in stealth bombers and nuclear powered military vessels
 
I won’t be able to watch it. Have fun watching it. Are you of Chinese ancestry?
And why are not able to watch it? You dont have access to YouTube!?!?

In some areas China is, yes the US and China do have different military purposes but they do also have the same. The US leads China in stealth bombers and nuclear powered military vessels
To have any kind of meaningful discussion on technology, you need to do so at a far more granular level than "stealth bomber technology," and/or "nuclear submarine technology and nuclear carrier technology." In the real world, technology is a lot more complicated than it may be depicted in a game of Civilization, where you click on a button to start researching, "Stealth bomber." To produce a stealth bomber, you would need mastery in dozens of actual technologies ie: turbofan technology, materials science, RAM technology, IWB technology, composites production technology, advanced metallurgy technology, super computer technology, electronic sensor technology, precision manufacturing technology, etc.

Also, how are measuring the gap in technology? Is the measure relative to Chinese pace of development, or US pace? Are you just looking at actual dates of introduction? Ie - F-22 entered service in 2005, J-20 entered service in 2017, therefore US is 12 years ahead in stealth fighter tech? In most cases, having developed a system first does necessarily imply you are still ahead in technology. For example, only recently did China master large marine gas turbines, while the US has mastered the technology decades ago. However, the most modern US marine gas turbines are no more advanced than the most modern Chinese ones. China was the first to fly 6th generation fighter airframes despite being 12 years behind in "stealth fighter technology".
 
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PLAwatcher12

Junior Member
Registered Member
You can still watch it any time after 9/3.
I might watch it after 9/3 but i usually like to watch things live.
To answer your edited part I access it on how long the US has had it if they are still using it and so on. It’s a rough estimate I have collected from other sources and some of my own it’s not supposed be taken as a fact. But more so my point was China leads in some military areas and in par in some areas but the US also leads in some areas too. Also about the Chinese 6th gen program when did it first fly? Since we the US NGAD program first flew in 2020 but has since been delayed again
 
But more so my point was China leads in some military areas and in par in some areas but the US also leads in some areas too.
Perhaps you should have used that wording in your original post. Then there would have been significantly less disagreement.

Also about the Chinese 6th gen program when did it first fly? Since we the US NGAD program first flew in 2020 but has since been delayed again
We do not know when the first flight actually was for the Chinese 6th gen prototypes. Obviously, 2024 at the latest. As for NGAD, what the USAF stated was a full-scale tech demonstrator related to the NGAD program has flown. Given that NGAD is cancelled, we will never know what exactly flew in 2020.
 
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Tomboy

Junior Member
Registered Member
Perhaps you should have used that wording in your original post. Then there would have been significantly less disagreement.


We do not know when the first flight actually was for the Chinese 6th gen prototypes. Obviously, 2024 at the latest. As for NGAD, what the USAF stated was a full-scale tech demonstrator related to the NGAD program has flown. Given that NGAD is cancelled, we will never know what exactly flew in 2020.
Since when is the NGAD project cancelled??
 
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