谭咏麟歌曲:Combat ship set for key role in military dipl...

来源：百度文库 编辑：九乡新闻网 时间：2024/07/02 19:04:19

Combat ship set for key role in military diplomacyWarship to be key role in China military



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While China's first aircraft carrier nears completion at a wharf in Dalian, international scrutiny is mounting over another large ship almost finished in the Changxing shipyard off Shanghai - the PLA Navy's second amphibious assault vessel.


The 200-metre Jinggangshan will be one of the most closely watched of the navy's modern fleet and could signal a further expansion of its involvement in non-traditional efforts, such as the fight against piracy and international relief work.


While foreign military attaches and analysts believe the Type 071 ships could form a key part of future carrier strike groups and the core of any Taiwan invasion plan, it is involvement in "soft power" projection that is likely to give the vessel a high profile in the short term.


Carrying up to 800 troops, four hovercraft, fast patrol vessels and two large Z-8 helicopters, the Type 071 is more versatile than any other ship in the modern Chinese fleet. And with a third vessel expected to move into full construction shortly, China will have an amphibious landing capacity that could rival any country outside of the United States.


The first Type 071 in operation, the 20,000-tonne Kunlunshan, has already been used extensively in the ongoing fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean.


Its deployment in August last year represented a fresh PLA push to take the fight to the pirates plaguing vital sea lanes linking Asia and Europe around the Horn of Africa, and its firepower has been used to break up several attacks.


The recent evacuation of Chinese nationals from Libya, overseen by the presence of a PLA frigate, was the kind of operation considered perfect for the Type 071, given its ability to handle a range of emergencies.


News of its looming completion comes amid a range of signs that the PLA is keen to burnish its international role.


The recent defence white paper highlighted the need to respond to a range of non-military threats, while this week state military media confirmed that PLA ships would be flying bigger, brighter naval ensigns to match international standards.


Gary Li, a London-based PLA analyst with private-sector intelligence firm Exclusive Analysis, said the completion of a second Type 071 and the prospect of a third ship would significantly expand the navy's operational reach in both hard and soft power terms.


It would bring a range of options to any future expeditionary carrier strike group - including possible anti-submarine and electronic warfare operations - and could also serve as a command and control platform for a variety of operations.


"Overall, I think the PLA is thinking more and more of how to use their ... assets for future examples of soft power," Li said. "As Chinese interests increase around the world, it will need to boost its presence and to be able to realistically tackle increasingly threatening problems such as piracy."


Even with both the Varyag and a new Type 071 poised for completion this year, Li expected it would be another three to four years before China would be ready to form a carrier strike group - the range of ships, planes and submarines that must routinely surround an aircraft carrier on even a basic offshore deployment.


Such a deployment required intricate integration of both crews and technology and extensive sea trials would still be needed before the PLA Navy felt confident enough to deploy such a group internationally.


"As exciting as the developments of these new ships may be, the bottom line is that putting them all together is still a stretch for the PLA.


"In that regard, the importance of involvement in an ongoing operation, such as the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean, to the PLA Navy's development cannot be underestimated. The experience they are gaining is vital."


Both Asian and Western diplomats said the Type 071 was closely watched for its hard and soft power potential. Strikingly similar in profile to the US navy's modern San Antonio-class warship, the ships were expected to be prominent in China's military diplomacy in years ahead.


"As a multidimensional platform, they are a powerful symbol of the ability to project power, both good and bad," said one veteran Asian naval attache.


"They are ships few other regional navies can match ... so there will be a lot interest in quite what China intends to do with them. I expect to see them use every opportunity to exploit them in a peaceful way to soothe ruffled feathers." (SCMP)
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