The year of 2010 has seen the PLAN ramp up its shipbuilding again significantly. New units of the Type 054A FFG Guided missiles Frigate, the Xuzhou Class with radar reducing signatures, VLS missiles and helo capabilities. New units of the Type 052C DDG Guided missile Desroyer, the Lanzhou Class with VLS, Phased Array Radar (PAR), and an AEGIS style battle management system. New units of the Type 093 SSN, Nuclear attack Submarine, the Shang Class, with improved reactors, sensors, and weapons suite. New units of the SSK Independent Air Propulsion diesel/electric attack submarine, the Yuan Class, which are very quiet and dangerous in litoral waters. A second Type 071 LPD, Landing Platform Dock, the Kunlunshan Class, which is similar in size, function and basic configuration to the US San Antonio Class LPD, with a well deck, large helo platform and hanger, and strong self defense. Significant progress on the former Varyag Carrier, the Shi Lang, which is now in final outfitting stages with itts sensor and weapons suite being installed as this is written.
Ongoing exercises of the many new units the PLAN has introduced into its fleets continues to improve their performance and ability to operaate cohesively with their new technology, particularly as surface action groups and task forces. This will continue at an increased tempo once their new carrier is launched and introduced into the fleet.
In addition, right at the end of the year, the PLAAF rolled out for taxi tests its first prototype stealth fighter, the J-20. This was sooner than most analysts had expected and intorduces the Chinese into the fifth generation stealth fighter areana.
These developments represent continued and significant progress by the PLAN in establishing itself as a blue water presence, capable of extending itself far from its coasts, out to and beyond the 2nd island chain. They have continued to demonstrate their ability to do this and sustain <a href="piracy.htm">strong surface action task forces in the international effort to control the piracy off the Somali coast</a>, maintaining warships and replenishment ships in the area over long periods of time.
Outside of naval operations, but potentially impacting them should a carrier derivitive be developed, the PLAAF rolled out its first fifth generation stealth fighter prototype, the J-20, for taxi tests at the end of the year (2010). The aircraft appears to combine the characteristsics of the front end of the United States F-22 Raptor (which is the only fifth generation stealth fighter actually in full production with over 100 having been produced), with the tail end portion of the prototype T-50 (two of which jave been produced) being built by Russia and India.
The PLAAF 1st Prototype Stealth Fighter, the J-20, in Taxi tests
Finally, in addition, as stated in last year's update of 2010, the PLAN continues to build all of the support aircraft and structres necessary to project their growing naval forces. They are keeping in line with their own stated purposes of extending their power and ability to protect their interests out well beyond their coatsal waters, out to and beyond the second Island chain in the western Pacific. As one of their leaders lately stated, "In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction,” said Liang Guanglie in an interview published by several state-backed newspapers in China. "We may.be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south or put the bayonets and guns away,” Liang added. The PLAN is developing its systems and support systems in line with these sentiments.
To read the entire article and see all of the new pics associated with the various class types,
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