PLAN Anti-Piracy Deployments

plawolf

Lieutenant General
I agree with Bltizo's reading of the reports meaning. To focus on the 'did not have' phrase will disregarding the rest of the sentence and paragraph is pretty much a textbook example of taking things out of context.

The emphasis was that the PLAN ships did not have adequate desalination capacity rather than that they did not have any at all.

I don't know why there is such a hang up over the idea that the PLAN would not have desalination planets as standard on their blue water ships. The technology is hardly cutting edge or unknown to China, and it would be a pretty epic oversight for a ship designer to not include one in their design.

I think the most likely explanation was exactly the same one I put forward when this subject came up before. The PLAN ships had desalination planets onboard, but those planets did not have the capacity to produce enough fresh water for all the needs of the ship and crew, so some rationing was required.

Besides, all of these seems pretty academic and pointless as it has been pointed out that the issue has already been resolved.
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
There is a point to this because we need to establish wether or not desalination plants were installed at the beginning of the anti-piracy missions which will help is understand future PLAN operation and deployments and is a crucial point in my opinion

As far as my understanding goes the author has clearly stated that there was no equipment to purify water and equipment was later fitted, it does not say refitted it also does not say there existed equipment or it was inadequate it clealy just says it don't exist, for example the exact wording was "did not have" so tells me nothing was there before

later installed and did not exisit are words associated with something which was not there before parts like its expensive to purify water are generic general points about water purification

So I would say this based on what people think There is two interpretations

One they had plants they were insufficient and so got better plants
Two they didn't have plants and got new ones installed

I believe or maybe not believe but I know by reading the article that I follow the second interpretation it's clear as crystal for me the wording is concise and accurate and PLAN ships didnt have desalination plants to begin with but now do

Also I would think that all new FFG and DDG have these plants not just the ones who go on anti-piracy missions!?
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I would say this based on what people think There is two interpretations

- One they had plants they were insufficient and so got better plants

- Two they didn't have plants and got new ones installed

I believe or maybe not believe but I know by reading the article that I follow the second interpretation it's clear as crystal for me the wording is concise and accurate and PLAN ships didnt have desalination plants to begin with but now do.
Well, Asif, here is the whole quote, in context:

US Navy War College Article said:
People's Daily suggests that the main cause was that the vessels deployed to the Gulf of Aden had been designed for Near Sea operations and thus did not have the water purfication equipment needed for longer voyages. In September 2009, managers and technicians of Quighuang Dao Mountain Heavy Industries Machinery Company, Ltd. began researching the problem. By May 2010 the problem had been largely solved by installation of new purification equipment, and sailors on escort warships enjoyed a constant supply of freshwater.

It goes on to describe some of the details of the needs (including that the crew needs alone amounted to 5-6 tonnes every day), and that as a result "high-production saltwater pruification equipment was installed.

So, the report indicates that the vessels were designed for Near Sea operations and thus did not have "the equipment needed for long voyages."

Also it states that in order to address this issue "new" equipment was installed that was "high-production."

I take it from these statements that the vessels did have purification capabilities, but they were not adequate for long voyages, that they were not "high-poduction," equipment and so, therefore "new" high production equiment had to be installed.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
There is a point to this because we need to establish wether or not desalination plants were installed at the beginning of the anti-piracy missions which will help is understand future PLAN operation and deployments and is a crucial point in my opinion

As far as my understanding goes the author has clearly stated that there was no equipment to purify water and equipment was later fitted, it does not say refitted it also does not say there existed equipment or it was inadequate it clealy just says it don't exist, for example the exact wording was "did not have" so tells me nothing was there before

Where does the author say that? I'll examine the relevant paragraphs one by one.

In February 2012 People’s Navy ran a special report on securing fresh drinking water for sailors in the Gulf of Aden.6 During the first deployment, in 2008, crewmen faced a major dilemma in that regard:
Most maritime areas near the Gulf of Aden are desert-like zones lacking water [resources], freshwater can even be sold for between fifty and sixty U.S. dollars per ton, over a hundred times the price of water in Chinese cities. If warships want to replenish freshwater on the coast, not only is the degree of difficulty great, [but, in addition, money] spent on foreign exchange is extremely high. However, the warships’ costs for purifying salt water were [also] extremely high.

So it quite explicitly states that the cost of purifying salt water was extremely high and that this was a problem the crew in the first 2008 voyage faced. If the 2008 taskforce didn't have purification, then it would be stated that they didn't have purification machines, rather than saying it costed a lot to purify water.


Okay, next case:
Relying solely on on-ship stores of freshwater cannot even come close to meeting these demands, and as such, medium- and large-scale ships have all installed high-production saltwater purifica- tion equipment

This comment is not made specifically at the PLAN but at all medium and large warships in general


People's Daily suggests that the main cause was that the vessels deployed to the Gulf of Aden had been designed for Near Sea operations and thus did not have the water purfication equipment needed for longer voyages. In September 2009, managers and technicians of Quighuang Dao Mountain Heavy Industries Machinery Company, Ltd. began researching the problem. By May 2010 the problem had been largely solved by installation of new purification equipment, and sailors on escort warships enjoyed a constant supply of freshwater.

For longer voyages. Not that they lacked water purification equipment.


So I would say this based on what people think There is two interpretations

One they had plants they were insufficient and so got better plants
Two they didn't have plants and got new ones installed

And I think it's pretty clear it is option one.
Look at it this way, if it was option two, why would the paragraph about the 2008 voyage simply not say "they lacked desalination plants" instead of "the costs were extremely high"? Further why would the report specifically go out of its way to mention that thew new plants in 2010 were "high production" and "meeting all of the sailors needs" -- if I was the author and wanted to carry the point that the ships lacked desalination plants I'd mention the lack of purification plants in plain black and white. Nowhere has Erickson done this.

He's gone out of his way to actually specifically detail the shortcomings of the existing desalination plants before pointing out how new ones could subsequently overcome those shortcomings.


I believe or maybe not believe but I know by reading the article that I follow the second interpretation it's clear as crystal for me the wording is concise and accurate and PLAN ships didnt have desalination plants to begin with but now do

I think myself, Jeff, and others have already highlighted the parts in the wording which suggest otherwise. Not to sound overly contentious, but I think at the moment you're the only one interpreting the wording in your way :s


Also I would think that all new FFG and DDG have these plants not just the ones who go on anti-piracy missions!?

Well all I suspect all new PLAN ships since the 90s would have had desalination , while new build ships since 2010 should all have the new high production plants from the get go.
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
16th task force 546 and 527

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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
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radio interview John Batchelor show WABC USA, with Rear Admiral Terry McKnight USN retired, former commander CTF151 Anti piracy task force Somalia. Topics cover include the legality, the rescue of captain Phillips and luncheons between himself and the commander of the PLAN deployed task force.
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
Good see China will continue these anti-piracy missions they are a must for the Chinese navy

I hope they can send the Liaoning out some time soon too that would be hugely beneficial


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asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
You can be prototype sure LIAONING will not go hunting Somali pirates!

I know but we can wish I guess!

Btw do you know which replenishment tanker is accompanying the 16th task force is 889 staying out there won't be the first time a tanker has stayed out for 6 moths? I need to update my list
 
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