Monday 3 August 2015
China’s military needs to ‘upgrade weaponry, extend surveillance into western Pacific’
China’s People’s Liberation Army needs to broaden its air surveillance and attack capabilities to the western Pacific including the area near Japan to ensure its command of the air, according to an official study.
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China’s military needs to ‘upgrade weaponry, extend surveillance into western Pacific’
China’s People’s Liberation Army needs to broaden its air surveillance and attack capabilities to the western Pacific including the area near Japan to ensure its command of the air, according to an official study.
A PLA report on air strategy emphasises the need to develop and enhance nine types of “strategic equipment” such as a new type of strategic bomber and a ground-based air interceptor system with an eye specifically toward the United States, which is strengthening its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The expansion of China’s navy, such as its building of a second aircraft carrier, is attracting attention, but the report by the Air Force Command Academy shows that the country’s air force has also started developing a similar expansion strategy. As a result, conflict over the sea with the United States could deepen further.
The academy, a think tank in Beijing of an air force leadership training organisation, prepared the report in November last year.
Reports by the academy have previously served as policy guidelines.
It lists the United States, Japan, Taiwan, India and Vietnam as “threats” in its military airspace until the year 2030.
It proposes broadening the scope of surveillance from a “first island chain” linking Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines and one of China’s defence lines in the open ocean to a “second island chain” linking the Izu Island chain, Guam and New Guinea.
The report affords a glimpse into the Chinese military’s confidence in thwarting the US military, which has been critical of China’s controversial land reclamation activities in the South China Sea.
It mentions enhancing the ability to attack US bases on the China side of the second archipelago line with strategic bombers and “deter U.S. military intervention” in the event of a defence operation involving Chinese islands.
The nine types of strategic equipment also include a high-speed air-launched cruise missile, a large transport plane, an airship that moves in the upper atmosphere, a next-generation fighter, unmanned attack aircraft, air force satellites and precision-guided bombs.
The report proposes cooperation between the air force and navy to enhance the air defence capability in the air defence identification zone that China established over the East China Sea two years ago and stresses the need to boost joint training.
The report also places emphasis on developments in space and missile programmes.
It says the air force would be put in charge of a space unit to be established in the future and that careful examination was needed regarding the form it would take.
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