2009 Update to Jeff Head's PLAN pages

Jeff Head · Jan 30, 2009

steven_master said:
the gwadar port is mutually beneficial to china and pakistan as it will make India more hesitant to attack the area around it and gives china access to the Indian ocean

Gwadar is certainly a friendly port for the Chinese...but it seems like it will be more of a transhipment point where supplies are brought in and stored there mainly from other ships than a place where significant materiel can be supplied to the port (and thus the Chinese) by land from Pakistan.

...and it is some significant distance froim the opertional area which raises the question as to whether the two DDGs can subsist on a replenishment long enough while the replenishment ship sails all the war to Gwadar and gets reprovisio9ned and back. Certainly too far away for one of the DDGs to leave the area of operation and travel there itself for provision and R&R...depending on how busy the escort duties are.

We shall see...but for any relief during the operation it seems like a port closer to the operational area would be more suitable.

After the Task Force is relieved then of course Gwardar and other ports become very possible for the entire taks force as it travels back to China.

Pointblank · Jan 30, 2009

Jeff Head said:
Gwadar is certainly a friendly port for the Chinese...but it seems like it will be more of a transhipment point where supplies are brought in and stored there mainly from other ships than a place where significant materiel can be supplied to the port (and thus the Chinese) by land from Pakistan.

...and it is some significant distance froim the opertional area which raises the question as to whether the two DDGs can subsist on a replenishment long enough while the replenishment ship sails all the war to Gwadar and gets reprovisio9ned and back. Certainly too far away for one of the DDGs to leave the area of operation and travel there itself for provision and R&R...depending on how busy the escort duties are.

We shall see...but for any relief during the operation it seems like a port closer to the operational area would be more suitable.

After the Task Force is relieved then of course Gwardar and other ports become very possible for the entire taks force as it travels back to China.

I would think the Chinese would send another replenishment ship so that there is always one on station or transiting for resupply, and another loading or transiting to the patrol zone.

Jeff Head · Jan 30, 2009

Pointblank said:
I would think the Chinese would send another replenishment ship so that there is always one on station or transiting for resupply, and another loading or transiting to the patrol zone.

Well, we know from the PLAN announcements that another group just like this one will relieve this group in three months.

But, I believe that, short of the replenishment ship itself getting reprovisioned at some port there, that the Chinese will have to have another replenishment ship arrive before the three months is up to ensure they have enough fuel and other staples for the full three month deployment.

If those two DDGs are constantly used for escort duties the entire time, it will be interesting to see if the Weishanhu has enough stores to support them that entire time. You can bet other analysts and navies are watching these very things to see what the endurance is.

2009 Update to Jeff Head's PLAN pages

Jeff Head

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Pointblank

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Jeff Head

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