Three ‘nails’ in China’s weapons strategy

The strategy of focusing on developing weapons capacity for the navy helps China’s maritime power to be considered dominant in the region.

According to Dr. Andrew Erickson, a China expert at the US Naval War College: `China does not want to launch a war but instead seeks to use its rising military power.

According to experts, to achieve the `win without fighting` strategy, there is no other way than developing an arsenal of weapons.

Of the three weapons mentioned above, China’s first aircraft carrier just completed a sea trial last week, after many years of renovation from a hull purchased from Ukraine.

The missile that is said to be capable of destroying China’s aircraft carriers is the only weapon among the above that has been tested and is ready for combat.

Anti-aircraft carrier missile

China’s Dong-Feng DF-21D missile.

China is deploying a powerful force of missiles and other long-range weapons to expand its combat capabilities beyond its shores.

The Dong-Feng DF-21D missile (known in the West as CSS-5) is fired from a mobile launcher mounted on a very flexible specialized truck, with a range of 1,500 km.

US and Taiwanese officials both confirmed that China has deployed DF-21D missiles.

The reason the DF-21D is ready to fight is because this missile manufacturing project started in the late 60s. The US Department of Defense estimates that China has 60 to 80 missiles of this type and 60 launchers.

Aircraft carrier

China has held the dream of an aircraft carrier for many years and its military officials have recently clearly expressed the view that a strong military cannot lack the weapons of these `giants`.

The completed Shi Lang aircraft carrier from the Varyag hull completed a test run last week.

Up to now, the United States still has no opponent in terms of aircraft carrier forces. Even when the Soviet Union was still powerful, it could not compare with the United States in terms of this type of weapon.

As for China, after many years of incubation, the country is starting to enter the race to own an aircraft carrier with the test run of the first one named Shi Lang last week.

Thus, China has chosen a shortcut to realize the aircraft carrier dream by relying on foreign technology, specifically Russian technology, and then localizing the manufacturing stage.

Western experts emphasize that the Chinese aircraft carrier will mainly serve training purposes.

Besides, Chinese aircraft carriers have more political significance than military power.

Stealth fighter aircraft

China’s Chengdu J-20 during a test flight on August 15.

China’s aviation technology is advancing rapidly and has traditionally relied on the development of Soviet-era aircraft models.

The publication of the image of the Chengdu J-20 had a huge impact because this aircraft model is said to have brought China into the group of very few countries in the world that can produce capable fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Despite its great influence, the Chengdu J-20’s actual strength is no different from that of the Shi Lang aircraft carrier in the opinion of weapons experts.

`But this aircraft marks China’s ambition to develop its air combat capabilities and aviation defense industry,` BBC quoted expert Douglas Barrie.

However, even though the Shi Lang aircraft carrier or the Chengdu J-20 stealth aircraft cannot yet become weapons on the battlefield, this is still a milestone in the continuous development of China’s military capabilities.

Dinh Nguyen