AP
China is rapidly developing new types and classes of weapons.
At a recent air show in Zhuhai, China, visitors were struck by a model of an unusual submarine presented by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Experts believe it is a prototype of a full-scale robotic submarine. The unmanned vessel is designed to perform a wide range of combat missions: destroying enemy submarines, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance, laying mines, and so on. The submarine could also serve as a mothership for a large number of smaller maritime drones.
The model came with some specifications: the length of the unmanned submarine is between 38 and 43 meters. According to CSSC’s data, it can dive to depths of 300 to 450 meters, reach a maximum speed of 20 knots, and move at 8 knots on the surface. Its operational radius is up to 10,000 nautical miles.
Experts believe the ship could indicate that China is actively developing unconventional weapons. Such work appears to be taking place on several fronts, most notably in the area of naval armaments. This makes sense, as the Chinese Navy is tasked with crucial missions to protect the country from a possible U.S. attack in the event of military action in the Taiwan Strait.
Observers of China’s military development have also noted the appearance of an unusual ship in the navy’s ranks, whose purpose remains unclear.
The Americans speculate that this could be a new class of light multipurpose aircraft carrier. It could serve as a carrier for aircraft and helicopters, as well as an amphibious assault ship or a floating base for naval and airborne unmanned systems. There are also reports of unprecedented speed in the construction of this ship.
At the Zhuhai Airshow, specialists were also drawn to the model of a sixth-generation fighter called the «White Emperor». Work on it began in 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2035 at the latest. Very little is known about its potential capabilities. However, the project is reportedly being carried out by Aviation Industry of China (AVIC), a state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate.
AVIC has already released several early concepts on social media in 2023, showing diamond-shaped wings and a tailless design. It’s also been reported that Chengdu Aerospace Corp has submitted eight proposals for a sixth-generation fighter and four test models.
Recently, Chinese specialists officially announced that the prototype of their new large passenger aircraft reached a speed of Mach 6.56 (about 8,100 km/h) during a test flight in 2021. According to the Chinese, this 20-minute test flight allowed them to solve fundamental problems in the development of such aircraft. The results were kept secret by the Chinese authorities. This suggests that the Chinese sixth-generation fighter may also be hypersonic. Supporting this version is the information that Chinese scientists have announced a revolutionary RRDE (Ram-Rotor Detonation Engine) project, which combines detonation and rotation technologies key to hypersonic vehicles.
Currently, the Chinese Air Force is known to have fifth-generation J-20 fighters and the even more advanced J-35A is about to enter serial production. The flight characteristics and capabilities of the latter are not yet fully known.
The extent to which Chinese specialists are developing fundamentally new weapons is illustrated by a report in the Chinese press on the development of a new underwater scanning system based on a laser lidar. It is said to be able to detect a «needle at a depth of 1000 meters». Developed by a group of researchers at Xiamen University, it won them a special award in 2023.
The Chinese armed forces are already armed with laser installations to combat enemy aerial drones, capable of simultaneously tracking and destroying up to a dozen aerial targets. There is little publicity surrounding installations with weapons based on new physical principles, including waves of different ranges, each serving a different purpose.
There are also loitering drone launch systems designed to attack various targets, including radar complexes. For example, the ASN-301 anti-radar kamikaze drones. In flight, the munition can accelerate to a maximum speed of 220 km/h and cover distances of up to 288 km, hitting targets within a 20-meter radius with an explosive warhead. The ASN-301 weighs 135 kg, is 2.5 meters long and can remain airborne for up to 4 hours.
And, of course, the Chinese are masters of unmanned aerial systems. Their systems now employ artificial intelligence technologies capable of performing various combat tasks at low cost.
The Americans are very concerned about the rapid buildup of China’s strategic nuclear capabilities. They believe that China will soon have 1,000 nuclear warheads. However, it appears that China is not fixated on nuclear deterrence. Instead, it is moving toward developing weapons systems that its enemies do not have — systems that could disarm its adversaries.
All of this is in keeping with one of the tenets of Chinese military strategy: to decisively outmatch the enemy before hostilities begin and make war pointless for them.