China may build up to 10 bases for future aircraft carriers, says report

China may be planning to build around 10 new bases for its future aircraft carriers, the state-owned Global Times newspaper reported on 20 April, amid speculation that the Asian country will operate at least six carriers in the coming years.

China flexing its military muscle

A Chinese WZ-10 military helicopter is seen before the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, October 25, 2016. Photo: REUTERS

 

The Chinese military is developing ships, submarines, aircraft, intelligence systems and foreign bases in a bid to be a global military power: report

China’s military is developing ships, submarines, aircraft, intelligence systems and foreign bases in a bid to become a global military power, according to a forthcoming congressional China commission report.

The late draft of the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission contains a chapter on Beijing’s power projection development and warns that once fully developed, the weapons and forces could contribute to a regional conflict in places like the South China and East China seas.

PLA developing submarines powered by lithium-ion batteries

China is experimenting with a lithium-ion battery propulsion system for submarines and aims to achieve results within the next five years, according to a report from Tokyo-based international news magazine the Diplomat.

Lithium-ion batteries offer much higher energy density and longer dive times than conventional diesel-powered submarines, which is why Chinese researchers see them as the “wave of the future,” says Andrew Erickson, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

China Unveils Three New Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines

 

The Chinese Navy is preparing to commission three new, nuclear-powered attack submarines with a vertical launching system able to fire supersonic anti-ship missiles, a report from China Daily said.

The China Central Television showed satellite pictures earlier this week of the three submarines anchored at an unidentified port claiming that the new submarines are China’s most advanced Type-093G attack submarines.

“The Type-093G is reported to be an upgraded version of Type-093, China’s second-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine, which entered active service several years ago. With a teardrop hull, the submarine is longer than its predecessor and has a vertical launching system,” according to the China Daily report.

China’s secret submarine caves extend Xi Jinping’s naval reach

We will never really know how many submarines China actually has, let alone what types until they expose themselves.

A couple weeks dated, yet still relevant:

 

Hong Kong: Beneath the surface of the South China Sea off the tropical Chinese resort island of Hainan, an underwater tunnel guides submarines into a lair reminiscent of a James Bond spy movie.

From this pen the subs can venture in and out of the contested South China Sea hidden from the prying eyes of reconnaissance planes deployed by the United States Navy, which for the past half century has enjoyed almost unfettered access to the waters, say military watchers who cite satellite images of the area.

The fleet of diesel and nuclear-powered submarines reflects President Xi Jinping’s efforts to ensure the security of sea lanes vital for feeding the economic growth on which the nation’s stability rests. It’s also provoked discomfort among neighbours bruised by China’s approach to territorial disputes.

Intel on presence of Chinese subs in Indian Ocean makes waves

A leaked Indian government document indicated that Chinese submarines have ventured into the Indian Ocean region frequently and have posed “a grave danger to India’s security interest.”

The document, originated from the Indian Defense Ministry, is called “Indian Navy: Perceived Threats to Subsurface Deterrent Capability and Preparedness,” and was obtained by the newspaper Hindustan Times.