Free Republic

China's Project 022 FAC â‹… NEWTOWN, Conn. - The Chinese Navy's Project 022 class is, despite its innovative hull design, a classic missile-armed fast attack craft. It is designed for the sole purpose of delivering eight anti-ship missiles to a specified naval target and has virtually no capability outside that area. Its design makes it unsuitable for patrol duties, while its short operational radius limits its applicability to maritime policing work. In military roles, it is virtually defenseless against air attack and would have to rely on speed and agility to survive in a hostile environment. Craft in this general...

China Deploys New Stealth Missile Speedboat China has developed a stealth missile speedboat and deployed it in the East China Sea, the official People's Daily reported Wednesday. The news comes after China's next-generation stealth fighter jet J-20 saw its first test flight last week. Dubbed the "sword without shadow," the speedboat developed with homegrown technology has successfully passed a dozen tests since 2008, the daily said. But it did not give details of the specifications or deployment. The boat is apparently deployed in the East China Sea or the South China Sea, where Beijing has sovereignty disputes with neighboring countries....