赖茅壹品1935:World watching China aircraft carrier‘s sea t...

来源：百度文库 编辑：九乡新闻网 时间：2024/05/04 04:23:25

World watching China aircraft carrier‘s sea trials






China's first carrier can take the sea on July 1

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After 9 years of retrofitting, first Chinese aircraft carrier – the matter of Taiwan's concern – can take the sea soon.


China will soon be one-step closer to its long-standing quest to operate an aircraft carrier. Various reports confirmed that the aircraft carrier Varyag, which China purchased from Ukraine and has been under refurbishment at the port of Dalian, may be set for sea trials this summer—perhaps in July. Chinese shipbuilding and military sources have indicated that the People’s Liberation Army has plans to build two new Varyag style carriers, followed by two larger nuclear-powered carriers which could be expanded to four or possibly six vessels. While much speculation has arisen about the Varyag’s hardware and launch date, the sea trials of China’s first aircraft carrier raise important questions about the extent of its pilot training programs, which are an essential element for determining the effectiveness of its carriers’ strike force.


On September 5, 2008, PLA Daily reported that the Dalian Naval Academy—China’s premier military institution under the command of the navy headquarters—had established a program to recruit pilot cadets. The article revealed the recruitment of 50 pilots, ostensibly selected to receive a four year education in ship-based aircraft flight. It has been widely assumed that this program was for the recruitment and training of the PLAN’s first class of carrier aviators.


Another element of China’s carrier pilot training program that is how it is training PLAN aircraft carrier pilots. After all, the Varyag will be China’s first aircraft carrier. To that end, China has been building training centers and actively seeking outside expertise to help train its pilot in carrier naval aviation. There are also reports that China is building several carrier-based fighter pilot systems for training. A couple of these installations, which are reportedly located in Liaoning, Hubei and Shanxi provinces, are designed to simulate the deck of an aircraft carrier landing system.

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China is also reportedly seeking to train pilots for ship-based aircraft at naval aviation training centers in Ukraine. The center is equipped with state-of-the-art simulators for taking off from angled decks, landing with arresting wires, and emergency response operations. Furthermore, Brazil and China had reached an agreement in 2009 to train personnel from the PLAN in Brazil. In the interview, Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim announced that the two sides reached a training agreement to stage PLAN officers abroad the NAe Sao Paulo, Brazil’s Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier.


While a single carrier is largely symbolic, nevertheless it underscores the progress that China has made and its ambition to become a global maritime power. The upcoming sea trials for the Varyag will mark China’s ascension in a rare class of naval powers.



Aircraft carrier helps China to achieve strategic objectives


If international relations are driven by perceptions of relative strengths and weaknesses, then power projection matters the most. China’s initial testing of its stealth aircraft J20 in January 2011 and the recent showcasing of its aircraft carrier – formerly the Varyag and now Shi Lang – signify its growing military capability. Chinese officials had stated that aircraft carriers reflected a nation's comprehensive power. Thus, China’s intentions in developing this vital strategic asset are amply clear. For some time now, China has been working towards developing a blue water navy with the strategic vision of “safeguarding territory, development of national economy and overseas interests.” Recent developments testify to the fact that China sees the need to project and protect its interest beyond its coastal Exclusive Economic Zone. The first aircraft carrier will be a treated as a learning curve; China will induct indigenous carriers into the PLA navy (PLAN) between 2015 and 2020.

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China’s first carrier launch will, similarly, introduce a new dimension to the Chinese navy’s prowess and signal a paradigm change in the strategic philosophy of the Asia Pacific region.


The world is focussed on the aircraft carrier Varyag procured by China from the Ukraine and undergoing refurbishment since 2002 at Dalian. The carrier is expected to be named Shi Lang after the Qing dynasty admiral who conquered present day Taiwan in 1681. This renaming is perhaps clear evidence of China’s intent and its ambition to extend its reach and capabilities in the maritime domain. Reports indicate that the installation of phased array radars and weapon fit would make this carrier a more independent platform compared to its US counterparts which rely on AEGIS-type guided missile ships for protection.


A successful accomplishment of the laid down time lines will enable China to meet its deadline of inducting indigenous carriers by 2020 and thus achieve a multidimensional maritime capability by including airspace in its operating sphere.


It is worthwhile to explore the intentions behind the Chinese desire - bordering on desperation - for a blue water capability and specifically aircraft carriers. When Admiral Li Yin spoke of China’s maritime strategy as comprising of three components: "ocean security, ocean development interests, and how to deal with the problems of disputes in peripheral oceans,” he was more than clear about the role of PLAN in achieving China’s security objectives.


Taiwan: Beyond doubt, preventing Taiwan from moving towards formal independence remains Beijing’s top priority. In that sense, induction and deployment of the carrier would help expand Beijing’s air defence capabilities, which, in turn, would enhance the outreach of its amphibious warfare capacity and thus push US forces outwards in case of a stand-off. Through such steps, China is likely to shape the situation in its favour.


East and South China Sea Disputes: An aircraft carrier is likely to enhance China’s ability to exert pressure on the neighbourhood. A carrier-centric Chinese fleet would certainly force the US to reassess its strategy in a conflict or high tension scenario. This would be another area where the projection effect of the carrier would matter more than its actual capacity.


Sea Lanes of Communication: China’s ‘Malacca Dilemma’ makes a strong navy imperative for protecting the vital sea lanes of communication so critical for energy and trade transit.


Beyond the Malacca Straits: A carrier force operating in the open sea areas beyond the Malacca Straits will add punch to the Chinese Navy’s attributes of reach, sustenance, versatility and the ability to influence events both at sea and ashore. These maritime increments could pave the way for a possible expeditionary force capability and also accord China the ability to engage nations whose navies operate in the IOR either on an equal footing or from levels a few notches higher than hitherto.



Chinese aircraft carrier of the balance of power in East Asia


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China's first aircraft carrier could begin sea trials as early as this summer and its deployment would significantly change the perception of the balance of power in the region, the chief of U.S. forces in the Pacific said. China bought the vessel from Ukraine more than a decade ago, and it is viewed as emblematic of the communist state's ambition to be a military power that can challenge America's decades-long supremacy in the west Pacific. China's state news agency this month carried photos of the carrier in what it said was the final stages of reconstruction.


“Based on the feedback from our partners and allies in the Pacific, I think the change in perception by the region will be significant,” Adm. Robert Willard told a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also noting the “remarkable growth” of China's military.


The U.S. Pacific Command led by Willard has five aircraft carrier strike groups, which it has used to project American power across a region key to global trade. However, China's military build-up, also including its rapid development of ballistic missiles and cyber warfare capabilities, has spooked its neighbors and could potentially crimp the U.S. forces' freedom to operate.


Willard said that China has increased and improved its fleet of both conventional and nuclear-powered submarines, which had prompted a proliferation of submarines in the Asia-Pacific. He mentioned Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia which have all either acquired or signaled their intention to acquire or expand their submarine fleets.


However, Willard said that China's navy has been less aggressive in its operations this year than last. He described that as a “retrenchment” by China following U.S. statements that it has a national interest in the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the South China Sea — where China's claims of sovereignty are challenged by several Southeast Asian countries.


“While we continue to experience their shadowing of some of our ships and so forth that are operating in these waters, we have not seen the same level of assertiveness in 2011 that we witnessed in 2010,” he said.









Jamestown Foundation/IDSA/China Post
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