Following is the report by US state department regarding the modernization of Chinese Navy aka PLAN. Even though such articals belong in Prof.forums I am taking liberty to post it here. If felt necessary the thread might be moved to Prof. Forum [Limiting it to only expert members & the administration (Admin & Mods)]
China Naval Modernization: Implications for US Naval Capabilities
US State Department
Thu, 1 Dec 2005, 00:33
Concern has grown in Congress and elsewhere about China’s military
modernization. The topic is an increasing factor in discussions over future required U.S. Navy capabilities. The issue for Congress addressed in this report is: 'How should China’s military modernization be factored into decisions about U.S. Navy programs?'
Several elements of China’s military modernization have potential implications for future required U.S. Navy capabilities. These include:
China’s naval limitations or weaknesses include:
- Theater-range ballistic missiles (TBMs)
- Land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs)
- Anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs)
- Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs)
- Land-based aircraft
- Submarines
- Surface combatants
- Amphibious ships
- Naval mines
- Nuclear weapons
- and possibly high-power microwave (HPM) devices.
Observers believe a near-term focus of China’s military modernization is to fielda force that can succeed in a short-duration conflict with Taiwan and act as an anti-access force to deter U.S. intervention or delaythe arrival of U.S. forces, particularly naval and air forces, in such a conflict. Some analysts speculate that China may attain (or believe that it has attained) a capable maritime anti-access force, or elements of it, by about 2010. Other observers believe this will happen later.
- Capabilities for operatingin waters moredistant from China
- Joint operations
- C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance)
- Long-range surveillance and targeting systems
- Anti-air warfare (AAW)
- Antisubmarine warfare (ASW)
- Mine countermeasures(MCM)
- and Logistics
Potential broader or longer-term goals of China’s naval modernization include asserting China’s regional military leadership and protecting China’s maritime territorial, economic, and energy interests.
China’s naval modernization has potential implications for required U.S. Navy capabilities in terms of preparingfor aconflict in theTaiwan Strait area, maintaining U.S. Navy presence and military influence in the Western Pacific, and countering Chinese ballistic missile submarines. Preparing for a conflict in the Taiwan Strait area could place a premium on the following: on-station or early-arriving Navy forces, capabilities for defeating China’smaritime anti-access forces, and capabilities for operating in an environment that could be characterized by information warfare and possibly electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and the use of nuclear weapons.
Certain options are available for improving U.S. Navy capabilities by 2010; additional options, particularly in ship-building, can improve U.S. Navy capabilities in subsequent years. China’s naval modernization raises potential issues for Congress concerning the role of China in Department of Defense (DOD) and Navy planning; the size of the Navy; the Pacific Fleet’s share of the Navy; forward homeporting of Navy ships in the Western Pacific; the number of aircraft carriers, submarines, and ASW-capable platforms; Navymissile defense, air-warfare, AAW, ASW, and mine warfare programs; Navy computer network security; and EMP hardening of Navy systems. This report will be updated as events warrant.
The full report of 77 pages, in PDF format, is available here at DefenceTalk. If you are interested in the full report, follow the following link.
Link: http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_004328.php
Source: DT News