That is an interpretation which makes sense, but it's not really phrased in that way.
I think overall the report just isn't conducive to having much benefit of doubt.
PLA Navy news, pics and videos
- Thread starter Jeff Head
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That is an interpretation which makes sense, but it's not really phrased in that way.
I think overall the report just isn't conducive to having much benefit of doubt.
I keep telling people here not to underestimate China's ambitions. People constantly underestimate their progress because they always think conservatively.
China is already 2 times US GDP by PPP terms according many experts. Which means its 60 trillion USD in PPP terms. With China's population and GDP growth, its totally not unrealistic for them to double their GDP PPP in 20 years to 120 trillion USD PPP. That is 4 times current US GDP. With that level of economy, they can and should have the ambition to completely surpass US in naval power.
So, what that surpassing looks like? They can have the ambition to have 20 carriers by 2050 and completely surpass US navy. With that kind of goal, 9 carriers by 2035 is certainly possible.
My thinking is that China will have enough Air and Naval power than the entire western world combined by 2050 and likely twice as much as US does today. Which means atleast 180-200 destroyers, 20 carriers, 4000-5000 fighter jets. If they are following that timeline, then yes, 9 carriers by 2035 is doable and likely even too slow since that leaves them only 15 more years to build 11-13 more, accounting for potential retirement of Liaoning and Shandong by then.
If we're talking about an eventual Chinese fleet comprising 20 aircraft carriers, I think it's more like 100-140 Destroyers along with 100+ Frigates.
In such a scenario, I think the Chinese Air Force would be in the range of 3000-4000 fighter jets.
I would die a happy man to get to see that kind of PLAN. With a defence spending of around 3-ish % of GDP is not even that outlandish, i keep moaning about China's defence budget being too small, but even a 3 % figure is still smaller than the US one. Really at some point China must decide if they want to perpetually remain number two for whatever reason, or if it really wants to embrace it's destiny. The americans decided to become number one in there early 20th century and they put the money down for that ushering the american century, now it's time China does the same imo to usher in the chinese millenia.
Though as a sidenote, i can't see really 9 carriers even in the water by 2035, let alone commissioned given current construction speed, but i can see 7 in the water with 5 commissioned. In order to reach that hypothetical goal of 20 by 2050 the either building speed must be increased or another yard brought into the carrier program. A program of say 5 carriers in the water every decade should get us close to the numbers proposed by 2050.
Of course, this is all hypothetical, but the point is it is entirely doable if the political will is there.
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Low quality post.
"People's navy"
"Military civilian fusion"
Source see watermark
"Military civilian fusion"
Source see watermark
"People's navy"
"Military civilian fusion"
Source see watermark
This is awesome.
Containerized VLS tubes, CIWS, rocket/smokescreen launchers and their associated radar and sensor systems - By having cargo ships (and even sea-going barges) loaded with these containers anchored off beachheads, they can serve as floating batteries.
This also means that more PLAN warships can be freed up for more vital/critical missions and/or deployed elsewhere in the warzone. There is also the added benefit whereby losing these floating batteries would be more acceptable (and easier to replace) than losing a proper warship.
Hopefully there will be containerized UAV/USV launchers and containerized counter-UAV/USV systems as well...
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"People's navy"
"Military civilian fusion"
Source see watermark
Slightly higher resolution
Wow, what exactly is this? An armed container ship?Slightly higher resolution
It seems like the containerized rotating radar is the same/related to what equips 054B/076 -- which would be a fairly capable twin face fast refresh rate AESA.
This thing as seen here very well may be configured as a modular air defense system, given the CIWS and decoy launchers, and would be quite viable if positioned close to an artificial dock /mulberry harbour, meaning you don't have to dedicated an entire frigate or destroyer doing race tracks in close confines of the littorals.
Scroll up on the page, read the immediate preceding posts.