Posted on 06/17/2005 11:26:30 AM PDT by Jeff Head

| By: Jeff Head June 2005 The People's Republic of China has gone into serial production on their new, stealthy Fast Attack Craft which are based on a wave-piercing catamaran hull design. The first craft, designated 2208, was launched in APirlof 2004 and commissioned later that year. Since that time, three more vessels have been produced in a year's time, 2209, 2210 and 2211. The vessels are armed with foru surface to surface anti-shipping missiles, probably the C-801 or C-802 with ranges from 60-100 miles), and one AK-630 30mm cannon, Close in weapons system. The fire control system includes an apparent datalink mask which can be used to receive target information from other airborne or shipborne sensors. Here are some recent pictures: ![]() Camo paint scheme of the first in sereis, the 2208, side view ![]() Camo Painting of the 2208, rear view. ![]() Camo paint scheme of the 2208, front view ![]() 2nd in series, the 2209 ![]() 3rd in series, the 2210 ![]() 4th in series, the 2211 The Rising Sea Dragon in Asia Chinese Defense Today - Navy ...and the following raw material (pictures and discussions) from the Keypublishing Naval Forum: PLAN Thread PLAN Thread II |
Browse those Keypublishing threads. The shear volume of the naval shipbuilding going on right now in China as evidenced by the scores of pictures on those threads, is daunting.
FYI
They look like they're out of a James Bond movie...
Amazing, the Chinese actually made something that looks cool.
Hate to say this but they look really good.
Except these are real and they represent a very small part of a very large buildup.
I am sure they will only be used for defensive purposes to prevent China from being taken over by Sweden.
Why else would they need a blue water navy?
That damned Sweden again!
They are preparing across the board, litoral waters clear out to blue waters. With four anti-ship cruise missiles each, ranging out to 100 miles, they are not something to be taken lightly, particularly cloise in to their own coasts and air coverage where they are designed to fight...ie Formosa Straits, etc.
Any 'modular conversions', yet, Jeff?
Like their newly announced plans to build carriers...purely for defensive purposes.
shallow draft so it can scream through the panama canal after it has sunk all the ships in it. Whatever. They better put some anti aircraft missiles on it too with a range of a few hundred miles.
Lots of container ships out there and they are now the 3rd largest in the world. I expect if they go after Tawian, they will use them .. but only if they can gain and then maintain air dominance.
All these have is a CIWS...they will have to depend on other assets (other ships and aircraft) for air protection.

Long way from these...............
Hard to tell from the pictures - are those about 110 feet x 40 feet?
Jeff, any idea where those photos were taken?
Also, a comment. One of the things that concerned me greatly about the HK handoff was that it was inevitable that all the excellent high speed cat, hovercraft, and hydrofoil technology would be combined withe Soviet ehkranoplane (sp?) technology as well as general indigenous standard naval technology. Now, I think that is exactly what has happened and will continue to happen.
There ya go!!
Finally getting with the program!
;<)
LOL...yes they are.
I do not know the exact location of many of the photos, but I expeect the FAC pictures are somewhere in the vicinity of the Qingxin Shipyards in Shanghai as well as and Huangou Shipyard in Guangzhou where these are being built.
RE: Huangou Shipyard in Guangzhou
They in particular would have benefitted from all the HK / Macao ferry technology. I rode a high speed cat from HK to Shekou once and was suitably impressed. But of course, the HK Macao hydrofoil took the cake.
BTTT
More scrap iron for the bottom of the Pacific. :)
"[As for the United States]->..... for a relatively long time it will be absolutely necessary that we quietly nurse our sense of vengeance .. We must conceal our abilities and bide our time." .....-Chinese(PRC) Lt. General Mi Zhenyu
The build up continues and the politicians and bureaucrats keep on trying to play see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. Well at least there is a shift going on to start recognizing the threat, but if the Chinese are any good at hiding what they build then we could be in real trouble a lot sooner than many would think(especially ground based force in the region including BM in areas that take advantage of our soft underbelly). The massive investment into ship building and just the recent reported plan to build the largest ship yard, is quite telling as to intent, yet few wish to see it. Keep the info coming, its greatly appreciated.
We are closing bases and shipyards, not building new types of ship for attack. Our steel industry has gone to China thanks to NAFTA.
FReepers are not interested is SEEING the truth about what's happening with China when Republicans are in charge. Don't scare them or else.
This is the kind of thing that will get you banned!
It is an offensive litoral waters platform. To go up against our major combatants in numbers (which is definitely what they would do...send a large number of these, each spourting four missiles, at one of our SAGs or CBGs in attempt to overwhelm their defenses), in order to do that they will have to get close enough...and in order to do that, they are going to have to have air coverage of some sort or they will nbever get close enough.
That 2211 version looks like an AAW (in addition to SSW) platform. I'd bet the 3-per-year schedule is just for these prototypes. Once they are satisfied with the performance, they could turn out dozens per year.
We cannot underestimate these people. They have develoepd to far and too fast and have too much resource to throw at us to do so. We decimated their divisions at Chosin in the Korean war, something like eight to one or higher...but at the end of the day, they controlled that ground because they were willing to pay that price. I do not believe they have changed in that regard.
...and they mean every word of it and are clearly acting in such a way that is completely compatible with that staement IMHO.
I will.
They've done four in a year...and I believe they are capable of putting out upwards of twenty or more if they go into full production.
The cat will be a stable platform but less maneuverable than the monohulled equivalent.
FR has kept me on through that, so all I can do is keep raising the warning voice as so many issues raised in those novels are now coming to pass.
...and fast.
Navy to test ferry by moving Mat-Su workers across Knik Arm
Where's the jib?
Did Bill or Hillary break a bottle of champagne on that ship?
And an extremely FAST platform, too.
Compared to what the Germans were prepared to invade England with... the Chinee are ready for Taiwan.
One of my colleagues---a genius financial expert who is helping Mongolia establish a working currency---was deeply concerned by poll responses there that said that one of the main reasons Chinese students get MBAs and other advanced degrees is to "make China stronger." One would look long and hard to find "make American stronger" a response by American business students.
But, Jeff, as you know, the solution is NOT to just "build more ships" to counter them, but to do EXACTLY what you had the Chinese do in your books, develop a remarkable new technology that makes them obsolete. This is what we did with Star Wars, and it is what U.S. entrepreneurs are best at.
Attention: PRC Desk
Sounds like we intend a new class of Amphibious Assault vessel with it. Not a bad idea and probably based on our experiences with the Joint Venture high-speed vessel (HSV-X1) from Australia.
In all likelihood, before doing so, they will wait for at least these three things:
They are working to get prepared as fast as they can...and not making any secret about it.
Do you have any ideas as to why the Japanese, who are such astounding engineering architects (their incredible airport, bridge, skyscrapers) never seem to make any breakthroughs in weaponry? This should NOT be a government-directed activity, for if you look at the greatest weapons in history, most---save the a-bomb---were developed in the private sector.
"Do you have any ideas as to why the Japanese, who are such astounding engineering architects (their incredible airport, bridge, skyscrapers) never seem to make any breakthroughs in weaponry? This should NOT be a government-directed activity, for if you look at the greatest weapons in history, most---save the a-bomb---were developed in the private sector."
Simple. Japan is getting security welfare from the US. All US navy ships in Japan should leave and you'll see they'll create some wonderful toys.
If you want to make people angry, lie to them. If you want to make them absolutely livid, then tell 'em the truth.
Ah! My new tagline...
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