In 2018, the then chief of staff of the French Navy, Admiral Prazuck, declared that the Chinese Navy was building in a year what the others could build in four. In fact, between 2015 and 2018, the overall tonnage of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) increased by 350.000 tons.
However, we are not just talking about a quantitative effort but it is also from a qualitative point of view. On April 23, a ceremony was held in the presence of President Xi Jinping at the naval base of Sanya, in the province of Hainan. The purpose of the event was to make public opinion aware of the entry into service of three new naval units, for a total displacement of 60.000 tons.
The largest unit is a 40.000 t amphibious assault ship (LHD) Type 075, called Hainan (opening photo). Launched in 2019, a fire that broke out on board the following year delayed its entry into line.
The news about the new LHD speaks of the transport capacity of up to 30 helicopters, including Z-19 combat aircraft and Z-8 transport aircraft (photo). It is also conceivable that it is capable of launching the ARC500C UCAVs: accredited with a flight autonomy of 5 hours they would be able to carry out ISR, EW and attack missions.
La Hainan it will be joined, shortly, by two other twin units, for a total of 8 amphibious assault ships.
The other ship to join the PLAN this year is the 13.000 t cruiser Type 055, baptized Dalian, is the third unit of the class Ren Hai (and the second to enter service this year, following photo).
Equipped with 112 vertical cells (VLS), 48 in the bow and 64 in the stern, it can carry missiles cruise CJ-10 and YJ-18A anti-ship missiles. It is also armed with 24 HHQ-10 short-range surface-to-air missiles, as well as a 38mm H / PJ-130 cannon and a 7-barrel 30mm rotating barrel CIWS point defense system.
This unit has a very advanced electronic suite, with AESA 346B type multifunction radar (with active antenna), an AESA X-Band fire radar, jammer, passive radar, type 726-4 bait launcher and two sonars (one large capacity, bow, the other, low frequency, towed). To take advantage of its underwater detection capabilities, it has CY-5 antisom missiles and six 324mm torpedo tubes.
According to US military intelligence, such a cruiser would demonstrate "China's technological advances in naval design are starting to approach, and in some cases even surpass, the technological level of the Western navies. It must be considered that this ship is one of the most advanced and powerful in the world". It is assumed that eight units in total will be built.
Finally, the PLAN put the Changzheng 18, the sixth SSBN Type 094 (class Jin). It is assumed that it has a displacement of 11.000 t submerged (with a length of 135 m) and that it can carry up to 12 SLBM JL-2s (maximum range of 7.200 km with a 1 Mt warhead). It is expected that 8 boats of this class will have to enter the line.
Il Changzheng 18 is probably an improved version of the nuclear submarine Type 094 (photo). Such a class of SSBNs are capable of providing Beijing with an even more credible nuclear deterrent.
However, even if this ceremony, which marks the simultaneous entry into service of three new units, obviously serves Chinese propaganda (it is a message against the "Taiwanese secessionists" admitted the Chinese newspaper Global Times), the fact remains that illustrates the strategic ambitions of the Chinese Navy.
A clear testimony of this is the video (below) co-produced by the Propaganda Office of the Department of Political Labor of the Navy. The video highlights all the capabilities currently possessed by the PLAN: underwater, amphibious, naval aircraft, missiles. The propaganda message, towards possible aggressors, is that the Navy has the means and the will to defend Chinese territorial waters and the atolls of the South Sea. Also mentioned is the naval base of Djibouti, the first Chinese military infrastructure outside the national territory. The military agreement between Beijing and Djibouti will allow the Chinese to maintain their military presence in the African country until 2026, with a contingent of more than 10.000 soldiers.
Images: CCTV / MoD People's Republic of China / MoD Japan / web
