Good day to all,
Last night's Military Analyst programme introduces a walkthrough of the Sovs from Soviet Navy & PLAN.
[video=youtube;N4hV4fA0tCY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4hV4fA0tCY[/video]
As usual, it starts off with a global military bulletin:
A) Media discovers that during the Cowspen & PLAN vessels incident, both skippers of the Cowspen and Liaoning had a conversation via wireless radio after the near collision;
B) J-10B might have a great advantage over F-15J. F-15J might be the oldest model amongst the F-15 family and most of its fighters are still using semi-active radar homing Sparrow missiles and only some of itts fleets are equipped with passive homing AA missiles whereas J-10B could launch passive homing missiles in the likes of PL-12;
C) USN on 18th Dec 2013 launch the 5th Freedom class LCS USS Milwaukee as well as undergoing a naming ceremony, a brief introduction follows next.
Programme introduces the Sov specs and weapons and recent deployments during Sino-Russia 2012 (PLAN deployment of Fuzhou & Taizhou) & 2013 (Russian deployment of "Bystryy" Rapid) joint exercise.
The guest is Rear Adm. Zhang ZhaoZhong, a prof from the PLA National Defense University.
1) The Sov have been termed as "carrier nemesis" due to its SS-N-22 "Sunburn" missile which was a state-of-the-art weapon during the 80s and 90s, its the tonnage is alomost 8000 tons;
Iranian military has been actively seeking and buying Sunburn from Russia due to its agility and destructive power. Although it might not been the most ideal carrier killer, but it certainly have the capablity to blockage the Straits of Hormuz with an assymmetric warfare against the US 5th Carrier Fleet. The Straits of Hormuz provides a natural barrier against any foreign invasion or attack due to its narrowness of 64km. Sunburn may be the ideal weapon. Iraninan military has already pre-determined the firing positions in their firing bases along the Bandar-e 'Abbas Port and Jask Port, this forms a cross firing position in times of conflicts.
On why Iran favours the Sunburn, Prof ZZZ says:
2) The strait is strategic choke point for hostile ships, due to its narrowness, ships have to slow down becoming easy targets for the Iranian Sunburns;
3) However 'theorically' speaking, the hostile ships entering the straits in actual real war scenario, such blockage might be unrealistic;
Programme shifts to East Sea Fleet's 4 Sovs joining the "Maneuver 5" sea exercise earlier this year on Western Pacific. One of the PLAN Sov complimented with a 054A practicing anti-missile exercises with a salvo of 8 missiles taking on 5 incoming drone missiles with 100% kills. There are many fans of the PLAN Sovs in mainland. Programme also shows the route taken when every Sovs were being handled over to PLAN, every trip took 2 months.
On why PLAN wanted the Sovs, Prof ZZZ says:
4) There were 2 opinions during the 90s when PLAN decided to purchase the Sovs: Some parties thought the DDG were unstealthy and outdated, the only thing worth learning was its missiles; the other parties thought it could be a booster for the PLAN as the Sovs could quickly equipped the PLAN;
5) He further comments that the Sovs did really 'boost' the Chinese Navy during the end of the 90s as those were the early period when China begun its modernisation of its Navy;
6) Around 1980, the military budget of Chinese forces was about USD 100bn shared among the 4 forces, the Navy would then got its USD 25bn budget. Further added, these USD 25bn were to be divided into another 5 pieces for personnel, maintainence, equipment...etc, however the portion for modern equipment is very very small;
7) Coincidentially, Russia had 2 unfinished hulls of Sovs, the expenses were used to further developed into 136 & 137;
8) The two unfinished ships were quickly eqquipped with the expenses and thus they entered service into the PLAN quickly to enable PLAN to boost its naval capabilities from its then largest surface combatant 3000 ton 051 destroyer to a 8000 ton Sov;
9) The introduction of its first and second Sov enabled the PLAN to train and develop many batches of commanders in commanding and a direct contact with mordern weaponary;
Programme then shifts back to the sea route whenever a Sov was completed from St Peterburg by USN, India Navy, Japanese MSDF as well as ROC Navy.
10) Prof ZZZ replies that a survelliance is like a daily activity in the military. It comprises of gathering information about any newly commissioned equipment with includes photographs of various angles and infrared datas. When ships are passing by, it radiates electro-magnetic and the radar emissions as well as underwater soundwaves, all these are vital informations;
During 2001, two USN CBGs - Carl Winson & Constellation - concluded a joint military exercise to 'counter' the threats of anti-ship missiles with the help and directions of AEW from these CVs in the South China Sea.
11) Prof ZZZ adds that the Sunburn is supersonic and sea-skimming; Aegis system might have problem seeking these missiles much less countering it; however this is on the condition of Sovs have to launch within range of Sunburns. During actual engagement, Chinese Sovs may not even have the chance to enter close to 100km off the target since the CBG's alert radius is more than 1000km;
12) Peacetime talk is very different from actual engagements. A missile is a tool and the DDG is a platform, tactical usage of the Sunburn in actual engagement might not be valid as no US CBG would allow unidentifed ship with 100 km of them;
Programme lastly introduces a
announced in 2010.
Prof ZZZ concludes that it may be hard for the Russian Navy to modernise its navy much less building new concept warships. Most of the skilled workers and technicans as well as professionals during the Soviet era may not have been around for sometimes and even if they are still around, the production line might not been built up due to a lack of skilled technicans. The solution for Russian navy however, could been put 3/4 attention into nuclear deterrence in their nuke subs and present warships while the rest of its attention to built up its modern navy from the present status.
Lets discuss this friendly ok guys 
