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with it's LPD and escorts, including two SSNs During the last week of December, the Chinese Navy, the PLAN, conducted exercises with a large group of vessels in what some are calling the Chinese combined fleet. It included their carrier, the Liaoning, CV-16, which is a modernized and refitted Russaain carrier and sister of the Russian, Kuznetsov. it included one of the Chinese large Landing Platform Docks (LPD) which is similar in size and function to the US Navy San Antonio Class LPDS. it included one of the Chinese Type 052C, Lanzhou class destroyers, which are similar in function to the US Navy Arleigh Burke class AEGIS destroyers. It also included the two Type 051C destroyers, both of which are strong multi-function, anti-air destroyers, and two of their newer Tyep 054A guided missile frigates, which the Chinese have built 20 of in the last 4-5 years. These frigates are very strong multi-mission firgates, with low observation technology, a 32 cell VLS launcher for anti-air missiles, and decnt anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The US Navy currently has no frigates with such strong capabilities. Finally, it indluded two of the Chinese attach submarines. The pictures are indistinct, but it apears that at least one of these vessels (perhaps both) are the newerType 094 nuclear attack submarines, which are similar in size and function to the earlier US NAvy Los NAgeles attack submaries, though perhaps not as quiet ats those vessels. The US Navy has since built the three boat Sea Wolf Class, and is now building the thrid generation beyond the Los Angles class, the Virginia class of nuclear attack submarines of which ten have been built to date. This represents ten vessels, and is a very strong strike group in the Western PAcific. Since CHina is intent on building several of these types of strike groups, perhaps as many as five by 2030, it is a developing force that cannot be ignored or underestimated. Here are pictures from the exercises:
 The Liaoning aircaft carrier with a Type 052C DDG and two Type 054A FFG escorts >  All of the surface combatants in the exercises together in close formation >  The Liaoning aircaft carrier followed by the PLAN LPD and four escorts >  Several JH-7A Strike aircraft fly over the carrier and a Type 52C DDG escort >  The Liaoning aircaft carrier and its group led by two attack submarines One cannot help but notice that the Chinese carrier has not aircraft onboard. This is because the Chinese have not completed the airwing for the carrier yet. Though they have built a strong naval air training facility on th Buhai Sea, and though they have started traing pilots there and on the carrier, to date they have only embarked up to three of their J-15 Strike fighters on the carrier. That aircraft is a modernised version fo the Russian SU-33 Flanker fighter. The Chinese recently started serial production of these aircraft so we can expect over the next -2 years for them to fully develop their airwing around those aircraft, and around Ka-28 ASW helicopters, Z-8 ASW and SAR helicopters, and Ka-31 AEW helilciopters, all of which are a [part of the Chinese inventory.
 J-115 Strke fighter preparing to take off of the Liaoning  J-115 Strke fighter landing on the Liaoning Despite not having the aircraft onboard yet, the Chinese are accomplishing three very important gaols with the documentation of these exercises to the world.
China is pre-empting the message the Indians will definitely send (and others from other nations) with this one. And it is a message that cannot be ignored. Jeff Head THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA |