Not odd, it makes complete sense given OPSEC. PLAN doesn't want US to know whether those LACMs are stealthy and whether they fit in the 7m long cells on the 052D etc.
052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Or maybe they don't have on board and prefer to have more anti ship and anti air power? You can always use anti ship or HQ-9 as a LACM if you really need it.
Agree. The USN does utilize Standard Missiles for land-attack strikes as well, but that's been comparably rare, since there are already the Tomahawk and JASSM to do the job perfectly and at lower costs.
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Meanwhile, just wanna add-on a bit.
Given that if the Pacific War 2.0 happens within this decade, I do believe that it is a reasonable expectation for the PLAN surface warships to not venture way beyond the 1IC (perhaps contrary to the expectations of some).
This is because in order to permit the PLAN surface fleet to excur way deeper into the "true blue" of the WestPac or even the CentPac (to conduct anti-ship and/or land-attack missions), a strong and constant locale aerial presence on the high seas is absolutely mecessary for adequate protection of the warships or naval formations of the PLAN in the region. This can only happen with the presence of sufficient number of proper CVs with formidable air wings based on them. At present, China is not equipped with such capability, and will remain the so until the late-2020s, at-the-earliest.
Therefore, I do anticipate that the PLAN surface fleet will stick within and around the immediate/close proximities of the 1IC for much of the war, and that any excursion missions way beyond the 1IC will be rare unless absolutely necessary. At such distances, land-based protection and support by the PLAAF is still largely viable. Any further from that will result in this protection and support being degraded significantly.
Plus, facing with the considerably acute threat of AShMs from the US&LC forces in the region, the PLA needs all the SAMs and AAMs that they could get their hands on, in order to keep as many of their warships afloat for as long as the war lasts. Therefore, carrying LACMs isn't especially a priority when deciding weaponry loadout options for the major surface combatants of the PLAN.
In the meantime, China does have the PLAAF and PLARF (plus the PLAN's underwater component in the coming years) to provide long-range strike capabilites against land targets, with considerable magazine depths even when reaching as far as the 2IC. Hence:
- The J-16s and H-6s (hopefully joined by the JH-XX and H-20 in-time) of the PLAAF;
- The LACMs, MRBMs, IRBMs and hypersonics of the PLARF; alongside
- The 093B and 095 SSNs of the PLAN
... will be the primary means for China to conduct long-range land-attack missions across the IndoPac region.
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plawolf
Lieutenant General
The PLA as a whole is very sensitive about releasing material where they are showing off the offensive capabilities. That’s why we see so many photos of jets using rocket pods, not because that’s a major area that the PLAAF train a lot on, but because that’s the only kind of offensive weapons they are comfortable to release ‘money short’ images and videos off.
Part of this is opsec, but most of it is political.
China makes a big deal that it’s defence spending and modernisation is purely defensive in nature. Whole professionals and even most casual military enthusiasts can understand that a good offence is critical to a strong defence, most laymen, politicians and especially western MSM will not be so nuanced. If the PLAN releases pictures and videos of its ships and fighters with massive offensive warloads, it will kick off a fresh round of Red Dawn China threat hysterics from the usual suspects.
Part of this is opsec, but most of it is political.
China makes a big deal that it’s defence spending and modernisation is purely defensive in nature. Whole professionals and even most casual military enthusiasts can understand that a good offence is critical to a strong defence, most laymen, politicians and especially western MSM will not be so nuanced. If the PLAN releases pictures and videos of its ships and fighters with massive offensive warloads, it will kick off a fresh round of Red Dawn China threat hysterics from the usual suspects.
One of the few guided weapon video we got to see was from the Chasing Light documentary that talked about a Topgun 2esque attack against a bunkered target in which the first bomb knocked a hole and the second one blew up the target. And they pixelated all the good bits lmfao.
That’s highly unlikely.
(Continued from last post...)
Moreover, based on additional footage I found, on the bulkhead opposite the torpedo launchers are hung personal protective equipment (PPE) used by firefighters. I guess Xavier (@XavNN) somehow managed to miss those as well.
Add this to your collection.
Obviously the camera is to keep the PLAN sailors in line in case of fomented dissent against the totalitarian regime instead of sophisticated infrared detector for fire.