BEIJING – Beijing has set its sighte on obtaining new generation weaponryin almost all military spheres, pouring billions into research and theproduction of new models of battleships, missiles, jets, and submarines.Many of them are arriving for tests or will even be commissioned in thecoming year.
*Naval Power*
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Navy is one of the points of majorinterest in innovations for China, partially due to the ongoing tensionswith the US over disputed islands in the South China Sea. The latest Type001A carrier, which will reportedly be commissioned in 2019, is one of themost recent additions to China’s fleet.[image: China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier is seen duringits launching ceremony in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, April 26, 2017]
Being the first fully domestically built carrier, it is still based on itspredecessor Liaoning — a reshaped Russian Kuznetsov-class ship. Type 001Areceived improved radar system and a redesigned hangar, capable of carryingup to 32 J-15 fighters.
Another upcoming major addition to the Chinese navy is a Type 055destroyer, which have been tested in trials since August 2018. Armedwith guided missiles, this 12,000 tonne destroyer is believed to be oneof the fiercest in the world. Right now 3 such ships have already beenbuilt with 4 more on the way.
China’s underwater fleet is also expecting the arrival of a longanticipated Type 095 submarine. According to reports, this vessel wascleared of its predecessor, Type 093B’s malfunction, which was being tooloud for a submarine. The first Type 095s reportedly went into constructionearly this year with a total of 8 ships having been ordered.
*Air Superiority*
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A fifth-generation FC-31 stealth fighter has been tested and remadesince 2012 and is expected to finally arrive in 2019 or 2020. The FC-31 canreplace the existing J-15 as the jet of choice for Chinese carriers,as well as heavy J-20 fighters.
Another future addition to the PLA’s Air Force is a H-20 strategic bomber,which will be replacing the decades old long-range H-6K, based on SovietTu-16 made in the 1950s. Few details are known about H-20, but a videoreleased by Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation hinted that the bomber’sdesign will be similar to that of the American B-2 Spirit.
*New Intercontinental Missile*
One more addition to the PLA is a JL-3 submarine launched strategicmissile, which has already entered the testing stage. It will reportedly beable to hit targets 12,000 kilometres away and carry 10 multipleindependently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV). It is based on theground-launched DF-41 intercontinental missile, which was commissionedby the PLA earlier in 2018. Its range will allow it to reach US territorieswithout a submarine even having to leave Chinese waters. – Sputnik
