U.S. military dominance in the Indo-Pacific spurs Chinese naval heft

[Hindustani78]

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-military-dominance-in-the-indo-pacific-spurs-chinese-naval-heft/article24799025.ece?homepage=true
BEIJING:, August 28, 2018 12:23 IST
Updated: August 28, 2018 13:29 IST

China's aircraft carrier departs the port for its second sea trial in Dalian, Liaoning province, China August 26, 2018. | Photo Credit: Reuters

China has crossed yet another milestone for inducting a new aircraft carrier as part of its naval expansion to counter the military dominance of the United States in the Western Pacific.

Chinese state media is reporting that China’s second aircraft carrier, Type 002, being built at Dalian shipyard, has started the second phase of sea trials.

Sea trails are essential to test and fine tune a brand new ship’s complex systems, paving the way for its entry into the navy.

The state-run China Daily is reporting a unnamed Chinese navy researcher that he expected the second sea trial to mainly verify the carrier's communication, navigation and other electronic and mechanical instruments.

But analysts say that the China’s new warship is unlikely to become a game changer. For starters, it appears similar to Liaoning — China’s only aircraft carrier bought from Russian Federation. The Liaoning underwent 10 sea trials starting in August 2011 before entering service in September 2012.

The National Interest — a U.S. publication — points out on its website that Type 002 retains conventional propulsion and a ski-jump for assisted takeoffs, quite like the Liaoning. There are only minor changes in the superstructure, including new advanced electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. The new carrier will board 24 to 30 J-15 fighters — slightly more than Liaoning.

Nevertheless, the second carrier, which is likely to be named CNS Shandong, shows a step-by-step advancement of China’s ability to build aircraft carriers, which are necessary for dominating designated

swathes of ocean space.

The Type 002, however, compares poorly with much larger U.S. aircraft carriers, which usually have a more than 85,000 tonne displacement.

There is also no comparison in force deployments either. During specific events, the U.S. has deployed up to three aircraft carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific alone, not far from China.

It is likely that the US military power will be further enhanced in the Indo-Pacific under the Trump administration, which is already engaged in a trade war with China. Ahead of his appointment as the

head of the newly formed U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), Admiral Philip Davidson has asserted that he will work to recalibrate U.S. force posture in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure “continued combat readiness of assigned forces in the western Pacific (and) developing an updated footprint that accounts for China’s rapid modernisation”. A posting on the USINDOPACOM website also stressed that the “Chinese government seeks to overturn the established international order that has kept the peace in the region since World War II and allowed Asian countries to develop”— a perfect justification for further U.S. military expansion.

However, unlike the Type 002, China is also working on third aircraft carrier in Shanghai, which will stand in the premier league of similar platforms.

The Type 003 that is under construction in Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, is being developed on the same lines as the U.S. Navy’s super-carriers, says another National Interest article. The new ship will be powered by a nuclear engine. It will also use either steam or electromagnetic catapults to launch planes on-board.

It is estimated that by 2020, the Chinese navy will have 351 warships — a significant advance form the present level, but no match to the heavy arsenal of the USINDOPACOM spread across a string of military bases in the Indo-Pacific.

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Soviet Union Aircraft carrier

The second ship of the class ‘Varyag’, also laid down in 1985 took a very different direction to ‘Kuznetsov’ (quite literally). Cancelled in 1988 when two-thirds completed she was left at Mykolaiv in her unfinished condition for 10 years before being sold to China, original plans were bizarre, with intentions for her to become a floating casino in Macau. Eventually though, ‘Varyag’ was overhauled at Dalian shipyard and became China’s first aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’. China has since constructed a second carrier, closely based off the Kuznetsov hull, though reflecting 30 years of technological advancement since the original design. The ‘Type 001A’ has begun sea trials recently, in May 2018. Interestingly, China is comfortable designating these ships as ‘aircraft carriers’ as they don’t need to circumvent the Montreux Convention.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the ownership rights were transferred. The construction had ceased by 1992 due to funding problems.

The unfinished vessel sat in the Ukrainian shipyard until 1998, when it was sold at auction to a Macau-based Chinese company for $20m. The company earlier planned to convert the ship into a floating casino, but handed over the vessel to the PLA Navy for refurbishment.

High-power tug boats were used to tow the Liaoning (Varyag) to China. Varyag arrived at the Dalian naval shipyard in northern China in March 2002 for a major modernisation and refit.