Just in time for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, there is an accelerated reveal of Chinese weaponry.
There is a message in what’s going on. The Chinese are being true to Mao Tse-Tung’s Theory of the Three Phases of Revolutionary Warfare:
Organization, consolidation and preservation of base areas, usually in difficult and isolated terrain. This was basic security of the Chinese Homeland, internal security for suppression, border security to keep out any Cold War invaders and spies, American, or Soviet
Progressive expansion by terror and attacks on isolated enemy units to obtain arms, supplies and political support. As the Chinese economy grew and the kindred spirits of Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela aligned behind China, malign foreign influence operations to undermine the West were initiated. This includes Fentanyl to America to kill over 100,000 a year for three years in a row, Belt and Road Debt traps of development aid for many nations, and securing key global chokepoints such as the Panama Canal.
Decision, or destruction of the enemy in battle. As the enemy is weakened, more overt measures can be implemented for a conventional/unrestricted warfare phase of conflict. The relentless Typhoon series of cyber-attacks against America are growing, not abating and have been characterized by U.S. national security officials as preparation for direct conflict. As China feels more confident of their military capabilities, they are showing off advanced military platforms that are no longer mimicking U.S. creations but are starting to demonstrate independent innovation. The indicators are growing more clear, China is intent on a showdown.
Largest Amphibious Warfare Ship Ever
The Chinese Navy (PLAN, People’s Liberation Army Navy – they have their oxymorons also) look at the U.S. Navy’s America and Wasp class of large, flat deck amphibious warfare ships as versatile light or medium aircraft carriers.
At 45,000 tons, the America and Wasp class are as large as the Midway class aircraft carriers at the end of World War II.
The PLAN has already built four of their Type 075 large, flat deck amphibious warfare ships that look very close to the America and Wasp class but are slightly smaller at 40,000 tons.
These ships can carry vertical/short take off fighter planes, helicopters, and landing craft for invasions.
However, the PLAN Type 075 was just a prelude to a much larger vessel – the Type 076 that was floated out on December 27, 2024, of its super-huge drydock at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.
The ship is estimated to be 50,000 – 55,000 tons, surpassing the America Class and making the Type 076 the largest amphibious warfare ships ever.
A very noteworthy feature is that it has a catapult and arresting gear.
Although these are maintenance-intensive features, this allows the ship to launch and land conventional fighters and drones at much higher weights, which is very important for sortie generation – the all-important planning metric for the naval task force commander.
Not one, but two new stealth strike/medium bomber aircraft and a new intelligence plane
The Chinese are showing a continuous and robust increase in the capabilities of aircraft and operationalizing them in large numbers.
In December, the Chinese showed off not one, but two, never seen strike/medium bomber aircraft in broad daylight within 24 hours of each other.
The slow flights were rapidly noticed and placed on social media, which garnered broad attention, exactly what the Chinese were likely hoping for.
The first revealed aircraft was a large, semi-delta-winged stealth aircraft escorted by the PLAAF’s (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) most recent advanced fighter, the J-20 (which is a copy of the U.S. Air Force F-22, bought and operated in small numbers (under 200)).
The new PLAAF aircraft is a three-engine aircraft which reeked of being a high-performance light/medium bomber that could reach far targets (1,500 miles away from base) with a large payload of missiles in the internal bomb bay putting the U.S. Territory of Guam within range.
The U.S. has not had a similar capability since it retired U.S. Air Force F-111s in the 1990s.
The second aircraft was smaller, but also a tailless aircraft with more conventional, swept wings.
It is not clear if these two are part of a “fly-off” to select one or the other, or that both are going to production for different mission sets.
A new AWACS aircraft (Airborne Warning And Control) plane was also flown in December.
The PLAAF is also working on a long-range stealth bomber, the H-20, equivalent to the U.S. B-21, but the U.S. says the H-20 won’t be ready until 2030.
At the rate the U.S. government was being surprised under Biden, it would not be surprising for the H-20 to be in service much sooner.
Purpose-built, long-range stealth warship
The PLAN has revealed a new vessel that may represent a modern, naval “Dreadnaught” moment.
The “Killer Whale” (or Orca), autonomous surface combat vessel has recently been shown in China, cruising on the river from its Guangzhou Shipyard.
This vessel is the largest military purpose drone warship built to date.
It is little coincidence that Guangzhou was the location of the shipyard. Guangzhou is the Silicon Valley region of China, and the Orca is not just an autonomous warship, but a floating combat data center.
This vessel reflects significant data collection, data analysis, and AI-enabled autonomous actioning.
AI and Autonomy are trending topics, but the Orca is far ahead of any other AI-enabled, autonomous vessel publicly known to date.
The Orca appears purpose-built for combat operations at sea. In contrast, the large USVs of the U.S. Navy look like converted offshore workboats.
The Orca has built in, vertical missile launchers, retractable cannons, sophisticated military-grade radars, sensors, and communication antennas, space for additional weapons stations, and a landing pad for a helicopter drone.
The Orca is ready for military operations such as a blockade, whereas the U.S. Navy USVs are still in the research and developmental phase.
The contrast and different levels of maturity are quite noticeable.
Regardless of intent, the Chinese appear to be rushing the display of new military equipment in advance of January 20, 2025.
All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.
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