Yes , China wants to control SCS. and yes China have overwhelming force compares to Indonesia or some of ASEAN country. But china doesnt have the GUTS to do it openly. Just like what you did to Taiwan. You can invade that small island anytime you want but at what cost? not just military but there will be economic and political cost that makes Beijing leaders reluctant to do it. Your mass fisherman kamikaze fleet is a clear sign that PLAN are avoiding direct confrontation with US 7th fleet. Your Navy is far from blue water Navy and your Aircraft Carrier is no more than a very expensive yet ineffective propaganda tools. Your fighter pilots cannot even land on that Carrier properly and you dont have any military base outside your mainland to support a true Blue Water Navy mission. You must know your limit. The US succeed becoming the world superpower because they know the limit of their military and make it up with diplomatic effort.
Lastly, in my opinion, China wants to convert the SCS into territorial water limiting the movement of US 7th fleet and controlling the air space of neighboring country.
We know our limits very well, yes carriers takes time, 15, maybe even 20 years before a tradition gets developed. We haven o naval academy at the moment, no qualified teachers, and we lack the experience only time and combat can provide. Not to mention the J-15 still needs to be improved before it can be matched with the best of other 4++ fighters. Did I also mention engines.
Our navy is not a blue water navy, the naval HQ has set the date to 2050 for a true blue water navy. But with the Gulf of Aden anti pirate missions and other training missions we are now involved in, our efficiency is increasing. We are building massive fleets of replenishment ships for further deployment.
In terms of air power, air refuel is a major problem, but we are also on our way to solve that problem, perhaps by as early as ~2022.
We are already developing, in fact already 2 prototypes for Anti-Sub planes are test flight mode.
We don't need any bases of operation in SCS, the replenishment ships will do. Though in times of war, the new artificial islands will be fine for resupply. Further, especially Indian ocean than yes, we do need bases there to operate.
Yes, we don't have the "GUTS" to use your words, because, we are no longer stuck in a previous age, we value our soldiers, as hard as it is for you to believe, we will not send people on a suicide mission, we will equip them with the best equipment and training to make sure they come back alive. But that's only in regards to the US navy, and the Japanese navy to an extent.
BTW, look at our navy, just the SCS fleet is enough to destroy all of ASEAN's navy without suffering much. You still have that mentality that China doesn't have enough numbers or quality to do so, I can assure you, we do.
actually the 1960's frigates, you say, have been upgraded several times and armed with weapons as heavy as Yakhont, the only thing that's 1960's is the platform. We aren't Philippines, we won't operate ships that can't fire guided missiles.
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The radar on that ship is not great, there are reasons AEGIS destroyers are developed, it's not for fun. Oh and all frigates can do that now days.
Besides, with that design, it would light up on a radar like the fourth of july.
