Navy of the People's Republic of China

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The Navy of the People's Republic of China ( Chinese  中國人民解放軍 海軍  /  中国人民解放军 海军 , Pinyin Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn Hǎijūn , English Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy , abbreviated : PLAN ) is part of the Chinese People's Liberation Army . It has 215,000 men and is divided into three fleets .

The Importance of Maritime Trade, Shipping, and Defense to China

China's most important oil supply routes at sea (Source: DoD)

China probably already has the world's second largest navy and the largest civil maritime sector. In 2006, the country's marine industries generated an estimated ten percent of its gross domestic product ($ 270 billion), a significant increase compared to 2005. In 2020, that percentage could increase to $ 1 trillion . China has 14,500 kilometers of coastline, takes up four million square kilometers of sea area (for comparison: the land area is just under 9.6 million km²) and operates over 1,400 ports. It is the third largest shipbuilding nation after South Korea and Japan and aims to become the leading one by 2015, and is also approaching qualitatively important shipbuilding nations such as the USA and Russia . According to some statistics, China has more sailors, deep-sea fleets, and deep-sea fishing vessels than any other country. Seven marine universities or technical schools and 18 vocational maritime institutes ( as of 2006) provide training for Chinese seafarers . “This sea-based economic revolution increasingly depends on the maritime security of the home country. China has five of the ten largest ports in the world in terms of throughput; In 2005 ships called at Chinese ports 1.5 million times. ”- Cf. Economy of the People's Republic of China .

In addition, China is dependent on imports by sea, in particular on oil deliveries, 80 percent of which come through the Strait of Malacca , and has claims on the East and South China Seas .

High command

Since 2008 Admiral Wu Shengli (71), who had been appointed as Admiral Shi Yunsheng's successor in August 2006, has been in command. In early 2017, Admiral Shen Jinlong (* Nanhui, Shanghai 10.1956), previously Commander of the Southern Fleet, succeeded him. Also in 2006, Shi's deputy Wang Shouye was expelled from both the PLAN and the National People's Congress of the PRC on charges of corruption . - In autumn 2007 there was an extensive change in the leadership of the entire Chinese armed forces.

structure

The Northern Fleet (Beihai) operates in the Yellow Sea . Their headquarters are in Qingdao (the former German colony of Tsingtau). Other important bases are Xiaopingdao and Lüshunkou .

The Eastern Fleet (Donghai) is responsible for the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea . The headquarters are in Ningbo , other bases are Shanghai and Fujian .

The Southern Fleet's area of operation (Nanhai) is the South China Sea . Its headquarters are in Zhanjiang , large bases near Yulin ( Sanya ) on the island of Hainan and in Guangzhou . The southern fleet is the most important of the regional divisions. It is led by a vice admiral (as opposed to rear admirals in the other two fleets). In addition, the most modern ships are assigned to it.

Strategy and operational ability

The intended expansion of the PLAN operating room according to the China Report 2006 of the US Department of Defense

The People's Liberation Army's navy is at the center of modernization efforts: China needs it to assert its claim as a regional power - and even more so to be able to threaten Taiwan . The naval forces are currently developing significantly beyond the operational possibilities previously bound to the coastal waters. The ability to conduct offshore operations is growing. In 2002 a Chinese naval association made its first trip around the world. US defense experts assume that the PLAN can currently briefly control sea areas up to 400 nautical miles from the Chinese coast.

Since 2008, China's Navy as part of the multinational anti-piracy permanently in the Indian Ocean with min. one and max. three ships, some with special forces on board, and cooperates in this context with NATO and the USA (as of February 2013). Meanwhile, China's Navy holds regular maneuvers in the western Pacific in preparation for operations further away, and visits ports in countries such as Australia. Together with the much more aggressive behavior at the end of 2012 / beginning of 2013 in the conflict around the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands , this illustrates a change in strategy by China towards the goal of establishing military superiority on the open sea and further away from its own coasts or being able to assert its own interests.

The concept of the two island chains plays a role in the defense against a sea-based attack, even during one's own action against Taiwan. According to US analyzes, the People's Liberation Army wants to fight opposing surface ships within the second chain of islands by using conventionally equipped medium-range missiles of the CSS-5 type , whereby the small size of the targets poses great challenges for target acquisition and control of the missiles. Sea mines, cruise missiles, surface and underwater vessels are to be used within the first chain of islands.

equipment

People's Liberation Army Marines (Sea)

According to the US Department of Defense, the Navy of the People's Liberation Army in 2010 had around 75 larger surface units (including 25 destroyers and 49 frigates ), more than 60 submarines (54 diesel and six nuclear powered), 65 medium and heavy and around 160 small landing craft , 65 mine layers and around 230 smaller coastal defense and patrol boats, around 85 of which are armed with missiles . There are also 160 logistics and transport ships. There are structures that enable the civilian fleet to be used for military purposes, in particular for the transport of ground units and supplies.

The purchase of new destroyers and conventionally powered submarines as well as the gradual replacement of the destroyers, frigates and speedboats built in the country is planned, with the emphasis being placed on arming the units with new anti-ship missiles and cruise missiles . Compared to submarines and speed boats, the large surface units are in a relatively slow modernization program.

The Chinese nuclear submarines are being built in shipyards on the Gulf of Bohai , the conventional submarines in Wuhan and, on a small scale, in Shanghai. Above water units are built mainly in Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The production capacities of these shipyards have grown continuously over the past few years.

According to US estimates, the extensive Sanya naval base on the island of Hainan , which is partly underground and accommodates submarines and surface vessels, was largely operational in the course of 2010.

The total of 215,000 members of the Navy includes 40,000 conscripts , 26,000 members of naval aviation units and 10,000 marines .

Warships

Deployment of the Chinese naval units

Aircraft carrier

The Navy of the People's Republic of China will have two aircraft carriers in 2020 , and a third is under construction. The first carrier, which Liaoning China bought before half-finished from Ukraine and finished the work for probably several billion dollars. The second Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shandong (ship) , is a copy of the first and is thus also based on the design of the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov class . Both ships have a so-called ski jump - an elevation at the end of the flight deck so that the aircraft can take off without a catapult. According to information from the Kiel Institute for Security Policy , the third carrier under construction will have a flat flight deck and, like the American aircraft carriers, will be equipped with a catapult system.

In China, according to the US Department of Defense , training of 50 pilots for take-offs and landings on aircraft carriers began in 2010, but in 2009 China had already received training aid from Brazil on the Sao Paulo carrier .

Frigates and destroyers

The destroyer Harbin (DD 112), Type 052, put into service in 1994 , (NATO code: Luhu class )
The VBA's guided missile destroyer Shenzhen (DDG 167) during a visit to the US naval base Arpra on Guam on October 25, 2003.

There are currently 16 Luda-class destroyers (Type 051) in service, which were built until 1991. Since then, two ships of the Luhu (type 052), one of the Luhai (051B), two of the Luyang I (052B), two of the Luyang II (052C) and one of the Luyang III class have followed. Another ship of the Luyang III class is said to have been in testing in mid-2014. Construction of the first Type 055 destroyer began in January 2015.

Two Sowremenny-class guided missile destroyers acquired by Russia were put into service in 2004/05, two more with even more improved anti-aircraft and cruise missile systems followed in 2006. In 2005, the Luzhou-class (Type 051C) was the newest, larger surface unit , of which two ships are currently in service. It is an anti-aircraft weapon carrier designed to offset China's weakness in this sector. They are equipped with the marine variant of the Russian SA-20 Gargoyle anti-aircraft system and a tombstone radar system. The two own guided missile destroyers currently under construction point in a similar direction, the Luyang I being heavily based on the Sovremennyy model and mainly carrying SA-17 grizzly anti-aircraft missiles and the Luyang II to be equipped with Chinese in-house productions (HQ-9) .

The frigate fleet consists of older Jianghu-class ships and a number of newer Jiangwei frigates. Other newer ships are four Jiangwei I ships (type 053G H2G), ten Jiangwei II (053H3), two Jiangkai I (054) and eight Jinagkai II (054A). Since 2008 they have been equipped with the medium-range air defense system Hai Hong Qi-16 (HHQ-16) , a further development of the Russian Buk M1 (NATO code: SA-N-12 Grizzly). The latest development are the currently six (plus possibly two more) destroyers of the Type 055 that are currently being delivered.

Speed ​​boats

The Houbei class rocket speedboat (type 022), which may have been in service for the first time in 2005 , is the world's first motor catamaran designed for combat operations . The armament consists of anti-ship missiles YJ-83 and an AK-630 anti-aircraft cannon. The boats should reach a speed of up to 45 knots . Today up to 60 of these boats are said to be in use. They are probably intended for use near the coast. There are also reports of negotiations to purchase from Russia up to 30 Molnija-class speedboats armed with SS-N-22 missiles.

The Chinese Navy has a wide variety of sea ​​mines , but many outdated models and very limited aerial deployment options. The few modern types of this type of weapon are primarily intended for use against submarines. In 2005 and 2006 the first boat of two new minesweeper classes, Wozang and Wochi, was completed. In the meantime five Wochi boats are said to have been handed over to the troops.

Supplier

At the end of 2008, the hospital ship Heping Fangzhou of the Anwei class with a displacement of 10,000 tons was put into service. In addition to its military function, it should also have increased capacities for humanitarian operations.

In 2002 and 2003 a supply ship of the new Fuchi class was launched, which are intended in particular for supply at great distances from the home country. In 2006 the first ship of the smaller Danjao class was completed, which is expected to operate primarily in the South China Sea. In January 2013, a Qiandaohu-class tanker (Type 903) was put into service, which can supply warships far from Chinese ports.

Anti-ship missile

The Chinese Navy currently has many different types of anti-ship missiles . Many of them were imported and are now partly out of date. The newer import models in the Chinese arsenal include the SS-N-27 and SS-N-22 . Series production of our own anti-ship missiles has started. One of these in-house developments, a C-801 , badly damaged an Israeli corvette in the 2006 Lebanon war . Other names for Chinese anti-ship missiles are YJ-62, YJ-82 (CSS-N-8) and YJ-83. Little details are known about them. Development seems to be focused on the YJ-62 model. Its range has been increased to 150 nautical miles in the YJ-62 variant for coastal use.

Control systems and warheads that are designed to enable ballistic missiles to be used against ships are in the development stage. However, these missiles are not in the arsenal of the Navy, but of the strategic missile force.

Submarines

The submarine fleet is currently in the focus of naval modernization and already half consists of boats of modern design. The last of nine Ming class boats (type 035) was handed over to the troops in 2002. 13 diesel-powered Song class submarines (type 039) are currently in service. In 2006 the production of these boats was stopped. Its most important innovation is the ability to fire cruise missiles to combat sea ​​targets while submerged . In 2006 the first Yuan-class submarine (Type 041) was put into service; meanwhile four should be on duty. The US Department of Defense estimates that 15 more Yuan boats are planned to be built. Also in 2006 began the delivery of a new type of nuclear submarines of the Shang class (type 093), which will replace the old Han class (four still in service). By the end of 2007, two Shang submarines were in use. According to US estimates, orders for the construction of 17 submarines were placed in 2005 and 2006. The newer boats should be able to shoot down cruise missiles YJ-82 and CH-SS-NX-13. According to US findings, however, these guided weapons are still in the development phase.

After a total of four submarines of the Russian Kilo class had been acquired in the 1990s, a reorder eight more boats followed in 2002. All units were delivered by the end of 2006. By the end of 2007, ten kilo boats should be ready for use. The newer Kilo boats are equipped with SS-N-27 Sizzlers .

So far, three boats of the type 094 ( Jin class ) under construction as well as one completed one have been spotted on the quays of Hainan Island. It is a nuclear weapon carrier with twelve JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles , which have a range of 7200 kilometers. They serve as the successor to the Xia class that failed in practical tests . The first Jin boat presumably entered service in late 2007. A second should also be ready by now. It is questionable whether it is on active duty.

From 1981 to 2006, the US Navy registered an average of 2.4 patrols by Chinese submarines per year.

DropShips

The 160 landing craft and 76 larger amphibious vehicles are particularly threatening for Taiwan . Western estimates suggest that this landing fleet can land an entire infantry division on Taiwan. At the end of 2006 the first large landing ship of the "Type 071" (Juzaho class) was launched and is currently in the final stages. It is estimated that this type of ship can carry up to 20,000 tons of cargo or 800 soldiers and 50 armored vehicles. In addition, up to six helicopters are to be accommodated on deck and an air cushion landing craft in the stern of the ship .

Naval aviators

According to British estimates, Chinese naval aviators have 792 combat aircraft, including 346 interceptors (mainly Shenyang J-8 and Chengdu J-7 ), 296 fighter-bombers (mainly Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 / J-6 and 36 JH-7 and 24 Sukhoi Su-30 -MKK2) and 130 strategic bombers (H-5 and Xian H-6 ). There are also helicopters, reconnaissance, transport and tanker aircraft. Each of the three naval districts has two naval aviation fighter divisions.

China is negotiating with the Russian state-owned company Rosoboronexport to buy up to 48 Sukhoi Su-33s , modern fighter jets used by Russia on aircraft carriers. Russia announced in March 2009 that it would not allow this treaty to come into being due to concerns about Chinese plagiarism. Russia claims to have discovered in 2006 that China was building the Su-27 for export. The Navy of the People's Republic needs these aircraft for the 67,000 gross registered tons aircraft carrier Liaoning and their self-built aircraft carriers (see section aircraft carriers).

Weaknesses of the Chinese Navy

China's navy is hampered most of all by the outdated communication technology and despite all modernization efforts has so far hardly any weapons against cruise missiles and only limited anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities. Communication is to be improved through the use of a French communication system that is similar to the NATO Link 11 system , but was barely functional before 2010. Both Taiwan's and Japanese fleets are currently clearly superior to it, at least in the latter case. As before, in the Navy of the People's Republic, quantity clearly dominates over quality and the main challenge for the coming years is likely to be to change this relationship.

International operations

Like other states and confederations, China has been taking military action against piracy off the Somali coast since the end of 2008 . This is the first combat operation by the Chinese Navy outside its own coastal waters since the 15th century. After the third exchange of the participating ships, the frigates Zhoushan and Xuzhou as well as the supply ship Qiandaohu with a total of around 800 crew members, including 70 men who are specially trained and equipped for the fight against pirates, are involved. The unit's commanding officer is Rear Admiral Du Jingcheng. The association is primarily intended to protect Chinese ships and ships of the UN World Food Program and only support the units of other countries on request. He is not integrated into the "task force" in which most other states act against the pirates.

The Somalia operation, as well as the increasing number of visits to foreign ports, increased maneuvers with other navies and more aggressive patrol activities (for example an incident with the USNS Impeccable in 2009) are seen as signs that the Chinese government is increasingly considering its navy Actor understands over longer distances.

On October 19, 2012, according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua, eleven ships, eight aircraft and several helicopters were in action during a maneuver off the Diaoyu Islands . Specifically, these were the modern rocket destroyers Shijiazhuang (bow number 116, Type 051C Luzhou-class), the Harbin (112, Type 052 Luhu-class), the frigate Mianyang (528) ( Jiangwei-class ) and those only in June 2012 commissioned frigate Jancheng (546) (type 054A, NATO code name: Jiangkai II) as well as the supply ship Hongzehu (881), and the submarine recovery ship Changxingdao (861). There was also a new submarine recovery ship with the number 864.

Since 2012, the Chinese Navy began to visit ports in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic on a friendly basis . The aim of these visits is to establish closer relations with the countries where the ships call. Since China's strategic and economic interests in the Arctic , North and South Atlantic are increasing, an expansion of the Chinese naval presence in the Atlantic area is considered to be conceivable in the long term.

See also

literature

  • Andrew S. Erickson: New US Maritime Strategy: Initial Chinese Responses. In: China Security, Vol. 3, No. 4, Autumn 2007, pp. 40–61 (World Security Institute) - Online: wsichina.org (PDF, 410 kB)
  • Lijun Sheng: China's Rising Sea Power: The PLA Navy's Submarine Challenge (review). In: Contemporary Southeast Asia: A Journal of International and Strategic Affairs - Volume 28, Number 3, December 2006, pp. 528-530 (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) - Online reference: muse.jhu.edu
  • Sarah Kirchberger: Assessing China's Naval Power. Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications. Springer 2015, ISBN 978-3-662-47126-5 .
  • Dieter Stockfisch : China's global maritime policy. MarineForum 4-2018, pp. 4-7.

Web links

Commons : Navy of the People's Republic of China  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Françoise Hauser, Volker Haring: China: Explorations in the Middle Kingdom . Trescher Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-89794-145-8 , pp. 20 . , limited preview in Google Book Search
  2. ^ Gabe Collins, Andrew Erickson: US Navy Take Notice: China is Becoming a World-Class Military Shipbuilder. The Diplomat Magazine, accessed February 1, 2013 .
  3. ^ Andrew S. Erickson: New US Maritime Strategy: Initial Chinese Responses. In: China Security, Vol. 3, No. 4, Autumn 2007, pp. 40–61 (World Security Institute) - Online: Archived copy ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF, 410 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wsichina.org
  4. ↑ Hauke ​​Friederichs, Steffen Richter: The great power game on the Pacific. Time online August 12, 2011, accessed August 12, 2011.
  5. ↑ Former navy deputy commander stripped of NPC post (Xinhua, June 29, 2006)
  6. ↑ Fong Tak-ho: China reshuffle sends message to Taiwan (Asia Times Online, October 2, 2007)
  7. ↑ Gang Chen et al. a .: China's Politics in 2007: Power Consolidation, Personnel Change and Policy Reorientation . ( Memento of the original dated December 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ; PDF; 344 kB; 25 pages) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The University of Nottingham - China Policy Institute, January 2, 2008 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.nottingham.ac.uk
  8. ↑ Susanne Kamerling, Frans-Paul Van der Putten: An Overseas Naval Presence without Overseas Bases: China's Counter-piracy Operation in the Gulf of Aden . In: Journal of Current Chinese Affairs , Vol. 40, No. 4, (2011), pp. 119-146.
  9. ↑ Daniel J. Kostecka: Places and Bases: The Chinese Navy's Emerging Support Network in the Indian Ocean . In: Naval War College Review , Vol. 64, No. 1, 2012, pp. 59-78.
  10. ^ Chinese, US Ships Conduct Joint Anti-Piracy Drill. In: Defense News. Retrieved February 1, 2013 .
  11. ^ NATO and China: Cooperation off the Horn of Africa. (No longer available online.) In: MaritimeSecurity.Asia. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015 ; Retrieved February 1, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / maritimesecurity.asia
  12. ^ Caroline Henshaw: Sydney Hosts Rare Chinese Naval Visit. The Wall Street Journal , accessed February 1, 2013 .
  13. ↑ Tang Danlu: Chinese navy depart for West Pacific workout. (No longer available online.) Xinhua , archived from the original on February 4, 2013 ; Retrieved February 1, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / news.xinhuanet.com
  14. ↑ Dangerous shoals. In: The Economist . Retrieved February 1, 2013 .
  15. ↑ Christian Wolf: Fewer Chinese aircraft carriers than planned? , NDR Info , Armed Forces and Strategies | July 25, 2020.
  16. ↑ Russel Hsiao: PLAN Officers to Train on Brazilian Aircraft Carrier. Ed .: The Jamestown Foundation, 2009, accessed February 1, 2013, (online)
  17. ↑ a b Dieter Stockfisch: China: Destroyer KUNMING . tape 07/2014 . Mittler Report Verlag, 2014, p. 76 .
  18. ↑ China launches two Type 055 destroyers simultaneously in Dalian, Janes, July 3, 2018 ( Memento of the original from July 4, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.janes.com
  19. ↑ David Ax: This Simple Ship Could Let the Chinese Navy Circle the Globe. Danger Room, accessed February 1, 2013 .
  20. ↑ N / A : Russian-Chinese Su-33 fighter deal collapses , in: Defense Talk Online , March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  21. ↑ berlinerumschau.com
  22. ^ Chinese navy concludes visit to Morocco. China Daily , April 14, 2013, accessed April 14, 2013 .
  23. ^ Felix F. Seidler: Will China's Navy Soon Be Operating in the Atlantic? Center for International Maritime Security, February 8, 2013, accessed April 15, 2013 .