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China unveils new assault ship and futuristic fighter jets

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China unveils new assault ship and futuristic fighter jets
December 30, 2024
Article Body Text Taipei, Taiwan — Days after unveiling the latest breakthroughs in its military modernization, the Chinese navy has set afloat a new amphibious assault ship that could launch fighter jets, and videos have been circulating online showing what seems to be China's new generation of stealth fighter jets. On Sunday, China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, left the dockyard in Shanghai after the People's Liberation Army Navy, or PLA Navy, launched it into the water at a ceremony last Friday. The ship, which has a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, features a double island superstructure, a full-length flight deck, and an electromagnetic catapult system, which allows it to launch fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In addition to the catapult system, the Sichuan has arresting technology that allows fighter jets to land on its deck. With its large displacement, the vessel "can carry more weapons and equipment, has longer range and stronger combat capabilities," Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe told Chinese state-run Global Times. Zhang added that the Sichuan "has outstanding capabilities in air superiority and land assault missions" because the electromagnetic catapult system offers higher launch efficiency and faster launch speed. The PLA Navy said the Sichuan is a "key asset" for enhancing the Chinese Navy's long-range operational capabilities and facilitating its ongoing transformation. Other analysts say Beijing wants to project military power "beyond its shores" through the launch of the Sichuan. The launch is intended "to intimidate neighbors or ensure the PLA has the capability to land a large invasion force on Taiwan," Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore and a former Pentagon official, said in a written response to VOA. In combat scenarios, experts say the Sichuan could be paired up with China's aircraft carrier groups. "The Chinese military could use the Sichuan to deploy drones during the first wave of attack and then deploy larger fighter jets from its aircraft carriers later," Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told VOA by phone. Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said the Sichuan could be used in the South China Sea, East China Sea, or a potential military conflict against Taiwan. <figure><img src="https://gdb.voanews.com/7abaad6a-f7c9-4675-98b6-2e96d956616a_w1600_r1_n_s.jpg" /></figure> "If [China] takes military actions against Taiwan, [Beijing] will use whatever weapons it possesses, including the Type 075 amphibious assault ship and the Type 076 amphibious assault ship," he told VOA. Since its establishment in 1949, the People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan, but it views the democratically governed island as its own territory and has vowed to bring Taiwan under its control, even by force. The launch of the Sichuan reflects China's ongoing efforts to rapidly expand the number of its naval vessels in recent years. "The Chinese have been producing ships at an unprecedented rate and you can't say the same of the United States' shipbuilding rate," said Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. <figure><img src="https://gdb.voanews.com/01000000-0aff-0242-43fb-08dc91f6a144_w1600_r1_n_s.jpg" /><figcaption>FILE - A nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is seen during a military display in the South China Sea, April 12, 2018.</figcaption></figure> In terms of numbers, the PLA navy has a bigger fleet than the U.S. Navy, and its capabilities are confined in one theater, he adds. "A growing PLA Navy that is operationally more focused on the theater is likely going to have a certain advantage over the U.S. Navy that is still considered having to bear with various global responsibilities other than this part of the world," Koh told VOA by phone. A new generation of fighter jets In addition to the launch of the new amphibious assault ship, several videos and images of two seemingly new Chinese stealth fighter jets flying in broad daylight were circulating online last Friday. <figure><img src="https://gdb.voanews.com/9ab6a1d2-3324-408c-a3ff-4cff2e09f27e_cx0_cy66_cw100_w1600_r1_n_s.jpg" /><figcaption>Chinese military aircraft fly in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, in this screengrab taken from a social media video released on Dec. 26, 2024. Social Media/via Reuters.</figcaption></figure> The images and videos of the two fighter jets posted online have a triangular, tailless design typical to stealth fighter jets. The larger fighter jet, accompanied by China's J-20 stealth fighter jet, seems to have three air intakes for its engines, while the smaller fighter jet bears a more conventional layout. The Chinese government has yet to comment on the unnamed fighter jets featured in the videos, but analysts say their advanced designs show China is rapidly catching up with the U.S. and its Western allies. "Apart from trying to become a sea power, these seemingly new fighter jets show China also wants to eventually replace the U.S. as the leading air power in the world," Su in Taiwan told VOA. In his view, because the U.S. and its Western allies still control access to advanced semiconductor chips used in next-generation fighter jets, Washington needs to maintain strict export control of advanced semiconductor ships to China to stay ahead of the curve in the military aircraft arms race. "Imposing strict export control on advanced semiconductor ships will become the key geopolitical chokepoint that Washington can leverage against Beijing in the global arms race," Su said. VOA's Nike Ching and VOA Mandarin service reporter Lin Nai-chuan contributed to this story.
Content Type Text
Language English
NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
Network VOA
Embargo Date December 30, 2024 09:01 EST
Byline William Yang
Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English