Concern has grown in Congress and elsewhere about China's military modernization. The topic is an increasing factor in discussions over future required U.S. Navy capabilities. The issue for Congress addressed in this report is as follows: How should China's military modernization be factored into decisions about U.S. Navy programs. Several elements of China's military modernization have potential implications for future required U.S. Navy capabilities. These include theater-range ballistic missiles (TBMs), land- attack cruise missiles (LACMs), anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), surface-to- air missiles (SAMs), land-based aircraft, submarines, surface combatants, amphibious ships, naval mines, nuclear weapons, and possibly high-power microwave (HPM) devices. China's naval weaknesses include capabilities for operating in waters more distant from China, joint operations, C4ISR, long- range surveillance and targeting systems, anti-air warfare (AAW), antisubmarine warfare (ASW), mine countermeasures (MCM), and logistics. Observers believe a near-term focus of China's military modernization is to field a force that can succeed in a short-duration conflict with Taiwan and act as an anti-access force to deter U.S. intervention or delay the arrival of U.S. forces, particularly naval and air forces, in such a conflict. China's naval modernization raises potential issues for Congress concerning the role of China in DoD and Navy planning; the size of the Navy; the Pacific Fleet's share of the Navy; forward homeporting of Navy ships in the Western Pacific; the number of aircraft carriers, submarines, and ASW-capable platforms; Navy missile defense, air-warfare, AAW, ASW, and mine warfare programs; Navy computer network security; and EMP hardening of Navy systems. This report will be updated as events warrant.
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities -- Background and Issues for Congress
2006
90 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Military Sciences , Military forces(Foreign) , China , Military force levels , Military modernization , Naval planning , Military capabilities , Navy , Antiship missiles , Antimissile defense systems , Fleets(Ships) , Conflict , Ballistic missile submarines , Taiwan , Travel time , Pacific ocean , Hardening , Naval vessels(Combatant) , Cruise missiles , Limitations , Naval aircraft , Naval mine warfare , Attack submarines , War potential , Antisubmarine warfare , Plan(People's liberation army navy) , Naval modernization , Navy capabilities , Taiwan strait crisis , Fleet size , Fleet division , Forward homeporting , Aaw(Anti-air warfare) , Hpm(High-power microwave weapons) , Emp(Electromagnetic pulse weapons) , Emp hardening , Ship travel times , Anti- access forces