Type 75 LHD (photo : Russiadefence) On December 26th, 2019, the launch ceremony of the sixth destroyer of Type 055 and the twenty third destroyer of Type 052D was held at the shipyard in Dalian. In just 2019, the Chinese shipbuilders launched nine destroyers for the needs of the PLA Navy, setting a new world record. China’s 10,000 ton-class guided missile destroyer, the Type 055, is capable of launching long-range land-attack cruise missiles. China displayed its first Type 055 destroyer, the Nanchang, in April at the fleet review of the PLA Navy’s 70th anniversary celebration in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province. As China’s first type of 10,000 ton-class destroyer, the Type 055 has 112 vertical launch missile cells capable of launching a combination of surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine missiles. The Type 052D incorporates improved design, as well as sensors and weapons fit. Its layout slightly differs from that of the earlier Type 052C class, as its superstructure inclines inward at a greater angle for reduced radar cross-section. The guided-missile destroyer has a length of 156m, beam of 18m and a draft of 6.5m. The full load displacement of the vessel is 7,500t. The destroyer is manned by a crew of 280. The ships are equipped with vertical launchers for eight anti-aircraft, anti-submarine or tactical cruise missiles each (64 missiles in total): four modules are located in the bow of the ship in front of the superstructure, four others in the stern, in front of the helicopter hangar. In addition to artillery systems, destroyers are armed with three-tube torpedo tubes and four 18-barrel rocket-propelled bombers. On February 23rd, 2019, at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the seventeenth destroyer of Type 052D Nanying was launched.
Destroyer Project 055 and destroyer of Project 052D (photo : wenweipo) On April 16, 2019, the eighteenth destroyer of Type 052D Huainan was launched at the same Jiannan shipyard. On May 10, 2019, two Type 052D missile destroyers were launched at the Dalian Liaonan Shipyard in Dalian. According to Chinese media, the number of destroyers of this Type in the PLA Navy reached 20 units. On August 28, 2019, the twenty-first destroyer of Type 052D was launched at a shipyard in Shanghai. The ship was built according to an updated project – the helicopter platform is slightly longer. In all likelihood, the site has been lengthened to base the ship’s version of the latest Chinese Z-20 helicopter. On September 12th, 2019, the fifth destroyer of Type 055 was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. On September 26th, 2019, the twenty-second destroyer of Type 052D was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. On December 26, 2019, the launch ceremony of the sixth destroyer of Type 055 and the twenty third destroyer of Type 052D took place at the shipyard in Dalian. In total, in 2019, Chinese shipyards launched 23 surface ships for the PLA Navy, including: -1 Type 075 universal landing ship; -1 Type 071 amphibious helicopter docking ship; -2 Type 055 destroyers; -7 Type 052D destroyers; -12 Type 056 corvettes; (SothFront)
Shandong aircraft carrier (photo : GlobalTimes) China Now Has the World’s Second Largest Active Carrier Fleet: Navy Commissions First Fully Indigenous Carrier ‘Shandong’ China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has commissioned its second aircraft carrier into active frontline service - the Type 001A Class warship ‘Shandong.’ The commissioning took place 19 months after the warship first commenced sea trials in May 2018, and the 70,000 ton warship’s entry into service has doubled the size of the PLA’s active frontline carrier fleet. The country’s previous carrier, the Type 001 Class warship Liaoning, has been in service since 2012 and completed conversion from a training carrier to an active frontline warship in early 2019. While both designs are similar, and are loosely based on the Soviet Kuznetsov Class aircraft carrying cruiser design, the Liaoning improved considerably on the Soviet design with superior sensors, armaments and propulsion systems. The Shandong further improves on the design with a broader flight deck, a redesigned bridge and island with more powerful radars, and an increased capacity for aircraft, ammunition and fuel. The Shandong can carry eight more fighters than the Liaoning with a capacity for 44 aircraft. While the Liaoning was initially laid down as a Kuznetsov Class carrier at the Soviet Union’s Black Sea Shipyard, and was later completed and outfitted in China, the Shandong represents the first carrier to be laid down in China itself - a fully indigenous warship. Although the Shandong can carry eight more aircraft than the Liaoning, both carriers displace approximately 70,000 tons - giving the PLA Navy’s active carrier fleet a displacement of 140,000 tons. The PLA Navy has thus transformed rapidly from a service with no active carriers until September 2012 to the world’s second largest carrier fleet on December 17th 2019. The runner up, the British Royal Navy, deploys two 65,000 ton carriers - the second of which was commissioned less than a week prior on December 11th. Unlike Britain however, which is unlikely to commission any new carriers for at least four decades and may struggle to afford to operate the two carriers it does deploy, China has a number of new carriers under various stages of development and is predicted to have seven warships either in service or under sea trials by 2025. (MilitaryWatchMagazine)
PLAN is building an incredible number of warships (image : Forbes) China to Begin Construction of Seventh Aircraft Carrier: New Details Emerge On Fleet Expansion Plans With a single aircraft carrier in frontline service, two in various stages of sea trials, and another three under construction, China is set to imminently begin construction of a seventh carrier for the People’s Liberation Army Navy. A Chinese carrier fleet of seven warships completed by 2025 was predicted by some analysts as early as June 2018, and with its shipyards having demonstrated efficiency, punctuality and a massive capacity this appears set to be realised. Where it was previously reported that China’s seventh carrier would be a Type 003 Class supercarrier, a nuclear powered vessel expected to displace 100 tons or more, recent reports have indicated that this will instead be a second ship of the Type 002 Class. These ships are expected to displace approximately 85,000 tons, and will be conventionally powered meaning far lower construction and operational costs but a shorter range. With China’s Navy focused almost exclusively on protecting the country’s territorial claims in Northeast Asia, the range of the Type 002 Class appears more than sufficient and there appears to be no imminent need for nuclear powered ships. It remans uncertain if and when construction of ships of the Type 003 Class design will commence. China’s sole serving carrier, the Liaoning, is a Type 001 Class platform based on the Russian Kuznetsov Class design. It displaces approximately 68,000 tons. The Type 001A Class carrier of similar displacement is currently undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned in early 2020 - possibly before the new year. The platform represents a modernisation of the original Type 001 and Kuznetsov design. Also undergoing trials is a single Type 075 Class ship displacing around 40,000 tons - two more of which are currently under construction. The warship is comparable in its design to the U.S. Navy’s Wasp Class and America Class super carriers, and is capable of deploying specially design vertical landing capable fighter jets reported to be currently under development. The Type 002 Class is the heaviest and most capable class of Chinese carrier, and the only class in the world other than the U.S. Navy’s Gerald Ford Class which integrates and electromagnetic catapult system. This system allows the carrier to launch aircraft far more efficiently, and to deploy aircraft with far greater weights, meaning fighters can deploy with considerably more fuel and munitions than those deploying from the older Type 001 Class ships or ships equipped with steam catapult systems such as the American Nimitz Class supercarriers. Expansion of China’s carrier fleet has taken place in parallel to a massive expansion in its surface combat fleet - with destroyers currently being built at a rate unmatched worldwide and, in the case of the new Type 055 Class ships, fielding capabilities no other Navy can match. (MilitaryWatchMagazine)
AVIC FC-31 did not enter Chinese military service and became a made-for-export product (photo : Defence Forces) China is developing a new type of fighter jet, according to the country's top aircraft design institutes on Thursday. Military observers predict, based on publicly available information, that the aircraft will be stealth-capable and feature the significant use of advanced composite materials. In 2018, the structure department of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute and the arms project department of the AVIC Manufacturing Technology Institute jointly established a team codenamed "JJ" with the aim of developing a new type of fighter jet, according to an article released on both institutes' public WeChat accounts this week. The joint-development project was first planned in June 2018 and commenced with an opening ceremony in September 2018. The JJ team submitted an illustration of a test piece in November 2019, according to the article. The article did not elaborate on the name or specifics of the new fighter jet, but it provided a photo which suggests the JJ team might include a smaller group focused on the development of an S-shaped air duct.
PLAAF J-20 fighter (photo : Sunsun Guo) S-shaped air ducts are usually found in stealth aircraft as they obscure the engine from hostile radar, a military expert who asked to remain anonymous told the Global Times on Friday. Three groups under the JJ team received awards during a commendation ceremony held on Tuesday, the article read. Two of the groups developed composite materials for the entire structure and integrated metal inlet, while the other preliminarily demonstrated a type of advanced material. "The team has completed the cross-phase development of the new fighter jet. [We] have used innovation and realized a technical breakthrough for the body's design and manufacturing," said Xiao Shan, one of the awarded researchers, according to the article. AVIC's Shenyang branch is known for developing a number of Chinese fighter jets including the J-11, the J-16, and in particular the J-15 carrier-based fighter jet. It also designed China's second stealth aircraft following the J-20, namely the FC-31, which did not enter Chinese military service and became a made-for-export product. Some military observers have speculated that the new fighter jet could be an upgraded, domestic version of the FC-31, while others predict it could be an entirely different aircraft. Many military enthusiasts also expect the Shenyang Institute to develop China's next-generation carrier-based fighter jet. (Global Times)
Salah satu agenda yang diperkirakan akan dibahas adalah rencana TNI untuk mengakuisisi rudal C-705 sekaligus minta ToT yang negosiasinya masih alot sejak 2015 (photo : people) Menhan Prabowo Terbang ke China Bahas Peningkatan Kerja Sama Pertahanan Jakarta - Menteri Pertahanan (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto melakukan kunjungan kerja ke China. Prabowo bakal membahas sejumlah hal terkait peningkatan kerja sama di bidang pertahanan. Dalam keterangan tertulis KBRI Beijing, Prabowo Subianto memulai lawatan ke Beijing, Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT), Minggu (15/12) dan tiba di Bandara Beijing Capital pukul 07.15 WIB. Prabowo disambut Duta Besar RI Djauhari Oratmangun dan Atase Pertahanan KBRI Beijing Brigadir Jenderal Kuat Budiman serta Mayor Jenderal Song Yanchao dari Direktorat Kerja Sama Militer Internasional Kementerian Pertahanan Nasional RRT. Prabowo juga disambut Wakil Kepala Perwakilan RI Listyowati dan jajaran KBRI Beijing. Kunjungan Prabowo direncanakan berlangsung selama tiga hari dengan jadwal bertemu Menteri Pertahanan Nasional RRT Jenderal Wei Fenghe dan Wakil Ketua Komisi Militer Pusat RRT Jenderal Xu Qiliang. Prabowo juga dijadwalkan berkunjung ke State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) yang membawahi semua industri strategis dan pertahanan di China. "Dalam kunjungan pertamanya ke RRT ini, Menhan Prabowo Subianto akan membahas upaya-upaya yang dapat dilakukan bersama untuk meningkatkan kerja sama di bidang pertahanan. Indonesia dan Tiongkok selama ini telah menjalin kerja sama yang baik di bidang pertahanan, baik secara bilateral maupun dalam kerangka regional. Tiongkok juga menjadi salah satu mitra Indonesia dalam modernisasi sistem pertahanan," bunyi keterangan tertulis KBRI Beijing, Senin (16/12/2019). Dalam kunjungan ke Beijing, Prabowo didampingi Inspektur Jenderal Kemenhan, Direktur Jenderal Strategi Pertahanan Kemenhan, Staf Ahli Menhan bidang Keamanan, Panglima Komando Pertahanan Udara Nasional, Panglima Komando Operasi TNI AU 2, Komandan Pusat Persenjataan Kavaleri TNI AD dan Komandan Pusat Persenjataan Artileri MedanTNI AD. Turut mendampingi Prabowo yakni Komandan Pusat Persenjataan Artileri Pertahanan Udara TNI AD, Panglima Komando Armada 1 TNI AL dan Komandan Sekolah Staf dan Komando TNI AL. Selain pejabat Kemenhan dan perwira tinggi TNI tersebut, Prabowo Subianto juga didampingi penasihat, yaitu Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin dan Suryo Prabowo. (Detik) Prabowo ke China untuk Kerja Sama Teknologi Alutsista Kastara.ID, Jakarta – Menteri Pertahanan (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto berkunjung ke Beijing, China, untuk pertama kalinya ke Negeri Tirai Bambu itu selama tiga hari ke depan. Staf Khusus Menteri Pertahanan Bidang Komunikasi Publik dan Hubungan Antar Lembaga Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak mengatakan, kunjungan itu untuk membahas terkait kelanjutan kerja sama pertahanan antara kedua negara. Dahnil mengatakan, Prabowo akan diterima oleh Menteri Pertahanan China Wei Fenghe. Ia mengatakan kunjungan itu sekaligus upaya Prabowo untuk memperkuat industri pertahanan dalam negeri. Tak hanya itu, Prabowo akan menjajaki potensi kerja sama industri pertahanan di China yang berkaitan dengan alih teknologi alutsista. Nantinya, kerja sama itu harus menguntungkan Indonesia agar pertahanan militer Indonesia makin maju ke depannya. (Kastara)
PLAAF J-11 meets Thai Gripen during Falcon Strike 2015 (photo : Aereo) A talk was given at China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University on Dec. 9. The speaker was reported to be Li Zhonghua who is said to have participated in Exercise Falcon Strike 2015 in Thailand. One of the slides showed the score during each day of the exercise and during the first day, the Thais flying the Gripen were beaten 16-0. Another slide shows that although the Thais did very badly on the first day. These were dogfights and the Gripen fared better in the beyond-visual-range (BVR) arena. With 24 percent of the kills at range beyond 50km.
Score during Falcon Strike 2015 (photo : Alert5) There were important lessons for the Chinese side. This slide explains that the Chinese pilots had poor situation awareness. Too much focus was on front of the aircraft rather than all round. There was a lack of coordination between the attacking aircraft and its sweeper escorts. The pilots were not experience in avoiding missile shots. Their response were too mechanical and could not judge correctly on the evasive techniques for missiles with different ranges. In large scale air battles, the Thais were able to score kills while playing the attacker by taking down the Chinese defenders. When the Chinese attack, they had difficulty making it pass the Thai defenders. The only success for the Chinese when attacking is when they were protected by the Gripen, that was a low-level attack.
Score during Falcon Strike 2015 (photo : Alert5)
In 2 vs 2 scenarios, the Chinese found that they are poor in judging the threat and the evasive actions were insufficient. The fire control and weapons integration for the J-11 is still behind the Saab Gripen. Despite dominating in the dogfight arena, the Chinese still picked up important lessons from the Thai. They found that when dealing with Thai attacks using the Sun as cover, the strategy of the Chinese are simplified. When in an advantageous position, the Chinese were in a rush to score victory and fell into traps put up by the Thais. (Alert5)
Type 75 LHD (photo : Russiadefence)
Destroyer Project 055 and destroyer of Project 052D (photo : wenweipo)
