On Friday, the communist Chinese government in Beijing launched its third aircraft carrier as part of a naval development that could allow the nation to challenge American naval supremacy in the Pacific.
China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian, was launched by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation from the Jiangnan Shipyard on Shanghai’s Changxing Island.
The official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced the launch of the Fujian and emphasized that the Fujian was “designed and produced completely” by China. China’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, was a Soviet ship that China purchased and renovated, while China’s second aircraft carrier, Shandong, was purportedly modeled around Liaoning’s Soviet design.
Ridzwan Rahmat, a Singapore-based analyst with the defense intelligence company Janes told the AP that,
“This is an important milestone for China’s military-industrial complex.”
“This shows that Chinese engineers are now able to indigenously manufacture the full suite of surface combatants associated with modern naval warfare, including corvettes, frigates, destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and now an aircraft carrier,” he said. “This ability to construct a very complex warship from the ground up will inevitably result in various spin-offs and benefits for the Chinese shipbuilding industry,” Rahmat added.
The AP reported that the Type 003 ship is outfitted with cutting-edge armament and aircraft-launch technology, placing its capabilities on par with those of the most modern American carriers. The Type 003 uses a catapult launch, which analysts claim resembles a device of the electromagnetic variety first created by the United States, Navy, the outlet added. The use of a catapult means that the ship will be able to launch a wider range of aircraft because such a mechanism puts less strain on the aircraft than outdated steam-type catapult launch systems.
“These catapults allow aircraft deployed to carry a more extensive load of weapons in addition to external fuel tanks,” Rahmat said.
“Once it is fully operational, the PLAN’s third carrier would also be able to deploy a more complete suite of aircraft associated with carrier strike group operations including carrier onboard delivery transport and airborne early warning and control airframes, such as the KJ-600.”
Considering that the CCP has been modernizing its army and navy for more than ten years as part of a strategy to act internationally rather than only in regions close to mainland China, This development shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Under President Joe Biden and his failing administration, the ambitious aim of the Chinese Communist Party to surpass the United States as the leading global superpower has advanced.
The United States is losing ground in the drive for technical supremacy, as many high-ranking federal officials have warned. The United States has become complacent and weak according to the Trump-era chief architect officer of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, Preston Dunlap who resigned in April.
Top Pentagon official Preston Dunlap, founding chief architect officer of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force since 2019, announced his resignation. In doing so, he released a frightening warning about the state of readiness of the US Defense Department.https://t.co/GxBZt9yV0c
— John Peterson (@sailinjackvip) April 25, 2022
Dunlap urged the United States to strengthen its national defense and not “[l]ull ourselves into complacency when we should be running on all cylinders” in his resignation letter. He claimed “stifles progress and inhibits innovation” as he slammed the Defense Department’s arcane bureaucracy. “The DOD’s internal squabbling and petty interdepartmental feuding undermine national security,” Dunlap added.
If the top software expert in the Air Force says we’re falling behind in the race to build tech, all Americans should be concerned. https://t.co/9qXpq6uycf
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) October 12, 2021
“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years,” Former Pentagon official Nicolas Chaillan said who quit in protest in September 2021 after criticizing America’s lack of technological leadership in an with the Financial Times in October, “Right now, it’s already a done deal. It is already over in my opinion,” he added.
Watch it here: Youtube/South China Morning
Sources: Westernjournal, APnews, Theguardian
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