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Can China Become a Maritime Power?
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DRAFT – NOT FOR CITATION
Surface Warships: Many of the PLAN’s surface ships are equipped to lay mines, including: the two Sovremmeny destroyers (which can carry up to 40 mines); twelve Luda class destroyers (38 mines); and approximately 27 Jianghu class frigates (up to 60 mines). Many of the PLAN’s hundreds of “obsolete,” older and smaller gunboats (e.g. the Shanghai and Hainan classes), minesweepers and torpedo boats can each carry and lay a handful of mines. The PLAN’s dedicated mine warfare vessel, hull number 814, can reportedly carry up to 300 mines.
124
The advantages of using surface warships to lay
mines include their large carrying capacity, their trained crews, and the relative simplicity of command and control issues. Disadvantages include a lack of stealth, limited speed, and consequent vulnerability.
Submarines: All of the PLAN’s submarines can carry mines, including the twenty or so obsolescent and noisy Romeos, which can carry 28. The approximately 19 similar but newer and less noisy Mings can carry up to 32, and the ten to twelve units of the modern Song class may carry 30. The Kilos, of which China will soon have twelve, can carry 24 mines. The solitary Yuan can probably carry 30, and the four remaining nuclear powered Han class vessels, 28.
125
Mine belts [ 艇外 布雷
潜
挂
]—external conformal containers
designed to carry and release large numbers of mines, can be fitted to submarines. One source states, “For the past few years related PLA experts have expressed pronounced interest in submarine mine belts…. The PLA very probably has already developed submarine mine belts”.
126
The advantages of using submarines to lay mines include their
stealth, their ability to lay mines precisely, and their ability to penetrate difficult targets (perhaps by using mobile mines). Disadvantages include limited payload, slow transit speed, and high opportunity costs (since carrying mines comes at the expense of carrying torpedoes or cruise missiles). Another disadvantage, as with surface warships, would be an opponent’s ability to detect a mass egress from port.
Aircraft: Beijing’s more than 100 H-6 bombers, though obsolete for many missions, can each carry up to 12 to 18 500 kg freefall gravity bombs.
127
China’s limited inventory of
H5 bombers could also be pressed into a mining role against Taiwan, as could the JH-7 fighter bomber, though with much smaller numbers of mines.
128
The advantage of aerial
124
林 盛 [Lin Changsheng], “ 在
潜 渊: 解放 水雷兵器的
展”
状与
[The Hidden Dragon in the Deep: The
Present Situation and Development of PLA Mine Weaponry], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005,
p. 32.
125
Information in this paragraph is from 海林 [Hai Lin], “
事利物利 防 家
内
--2010 年台 困死水雷
:解放 水雷力
”
估
[Taiwan's Own Military Affairs Experts Forecast—In 2010 Taiwan Will Be
Surrounded with a Sea Mine Battle Array: An Evaluation of the People’s Liberation Army’s Sea Mine Warfare Combat Strength], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005, pp. 17, 18.
126
林 盛 [Lin Changsheng], “ 在
潜 渊: 解放 水雷兵器的
展”
状与
[The Hidden Dragon in the Deep: The
Present Situation and Development of PLA Mine Weaponry], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005,
p. 33.
127
This estimate is based on the 9,000 kg internal payload capacity of the H-6 as reported in “H-6 Bomber,”
at
http://sinodefence.com/airforce/groundattack/h6.asp
. The estimate of the one hundred H-6 aircraft is
from “China, Armed Forces,” Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessment - China and Northeast Asia, 12 July 2005,
www.janes.com
.
128
China’s 76 SU-30MKK fighters could conceivably carry several mines, since they are designed to carry
Russian free fall bombs. However, it is unlikely that such a high-value platform (e.g. 4
th
generation
aircraft) would be used in this role when less sophisticated aircraft would suffice. PLANAF J-8s (numbering approximately 50) and Q-5s (approximately 30) could also conceivably perform the MIW mission, as could the 200 obsolete and even expendable PLANAF J-6s. If the PLAAF assumes the MIW
21
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| | Authors: Goldstein, Lyle. and Erickson, Andrew. |
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DRAFT – NOT FOR CITATION
Surface Warships: Many of the PLAN’s surface ships are equipped to lay mines,
including: the two Sovremmeny destroyers (which can carry up to 40 mines); twelve
Luda class destroyers (38 mines); and approximately 27 Jianghu class frigates (up to 60
mines). Many of the PLAN’s hundreds of “obsolete,” older and smaller gunboats (e.g. the
Shanghai and Hainan classes), minesweepers and torpedo boats can each carry and lay a
handful of mines. The PLAN’s dedicated mine warfare vessel, hull number 814, can
reportedly carry up to 300 mines.
The advantages of using surface warships to lay
mines include their large carrying capacity, their trained crews, and the relative simplicity
of command and control issues. Disadvantages include a lack of stealth, limited speed,
and consequent vulnerability.
Submarines: All of the PLAN’s submarines can carry mines, including the twenty or so
obsolescent and noisy Romeos, which can carry 28. The approximately 19 similar but
newer and less noisy Mings can carry up to 32, and the ten to twelve units of the modern
Song class may carry 30. The Kilos, of which China will soon have twelve, can carry 24
mines. The solitary Yuan can probably carry 30, and the four remaining nuclear powered
Han class vessels, 28.
潜
挂
]—external conformal containers
designed to carry and release large numbers of mines, can be fitted to submarines. One
source states, “For the past few years related PLA experts have expressed pronounced
interest in submarine mine belts…. The PLA very probably has already developed
submarine mine belts”.
The advantages of using submarines to lay mines include their
stealth, their ability to lay mines precisely, and their ability to penetrate difficult targets
(perhaps by using mobile mines). Disadvantages include limited payload, slow transit
speed, and high opportunity costs (since carrying mines comes at the expense of carrying
torpedoes or cruise missiles). Another disadvantage, as with surface warships, would be
an opponent’s ability to detect a mass egress from port.
Aircraft: Beijing’s more than 100 H-6 bombers, though obsolete for many missions, can
each carry up to 12 to 18 500 kg freefall gravity bombs.
China’s limited inventory of
H5 bombers could also be pressed into a mining role against Taiwan, as could the JH-7
fighter bomber, though with much smaller numbers of mines.
124
林 盛 [Lin Changsheng], “ 在
潜 渊: 解放 水雷兵器的
展”
状与
[The Hidden Dragon in the Deep: The
Present Situation and Development of PLA Mine Weaponry], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005,
p. 32.
125
Information in this paragraph is from 海林 [Hai Lin], “
事利物利 防 家
内
--2010 年台 困死水雷
:解放 水雷力
”
估
[Taiwan's Own Military Affairs Experts Forecast—In 2010 Taiwan Will Be
Surrounded with a Sea Mine Battle Array: An Evaluation of the People’s Liberation Army’s Sea Mine
Warfare Combat Strength], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005, pp. 17, 18.
126
林 盛 [Lin Changsheng], “ 在
潜 渊: 解放 水雷兵器的
展”
状与
[The Hidden Dragon in the Deep: The
Present Situation and Development of PLA Mine Weaponry], 展望
国
[World Outlook], No. 9, May 2005,
p. 33.
127
This estimate is based on the 9,000 kg internal payload capacity of the H-6 as reported in “H-6 Bomber,”
at
. The estimate of the one hundred H-6 aircraft is
from “China, Armed Forces,” Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessment - China and Northeast Asia, 12 July
2005,
128
China’s 76 SU-30MKK fighters could conceivably carry several mines, since they are designed to carry
Russian free fall bombs. However, it is unlikely that such a high-value platform (e.g. 4
th
generation
aircraft) would be used in this role when less sophisticated aircraft would suffice. PLANAF J-8s
(numbering approximately 50) and Q-5s (approximately 30) could also conceivably perform the MIW
mission, as could the 200 obsolete and even expendable PLANAF J-6s. If the PLAAF assumes the MIW
21
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