2024-05-06 23:43:56
New Delhi: After land and air, the powerful countries of the world have now decided to further increase their dominance over water. India is also continuously increasing its maritime power. But India needs to be more cautious now than ever about the maritime power of its neighbor China. In fact, China has launched its third aircraft carrier Fujian into the sea for testing last week. Amidst America’s increasing military power, China is also expanding its navy. Besides, China is also trying to make its neighboring country India realize its maritime power. This new aircraft carrier is named after the Fujian province and is the largest and most advanced Chinese aircraft carrier ever built. According to state news agency Xinhua, the Fujian carrier departed from Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard and the tests will primarily test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems. This trial will run for about two years, after which the carrier will be officially incorporated in five years. The US Department of Defense says the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the world’s ‘largest navy’, surpassing the US with more than 370 warships.
What is the speciality?
The Fujian carrier is expected to weigh approximately 79,000 tonnes, making it the heaviest Chinese aircraft carrier to date. Also, it is equipped with the most powerful fighter jet launch system – Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). Currently, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, uses the EMALS launch system. China’s other aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, use the older ski-jump system. There are two types of aircraft carriers – Catobar and Stobar. Stobar (Short Take-Off, Barrier-Assisted Recovery) consists of an elevated ski-ramp that helps the fighter jet take off. However, this ski-ramp limits the aircraft’s takeoff weight, reducing its weapons and fuel carrying capacity. On the other hand, the CATOBAR system uses catapults to launch aircraft. Cattobar-based aircraft carriers have steam-powered catapult systems, which require more maintenance, are heavier, and take up more space than other options. The EMALS catapult allows aircraft to be launched from aircraft carriers in a more seamless and precise manner, allowing even heavier fighter jets to take off.
China’s naval expansion
There has been a major change in China since the 1990s, where more attention is being paid to the expansion of the Navy rather than the PLA. This shift was driven by the economic growth of the 1990s and early 2000s, which increased China’s presence in the global economy and made it the world’s manufacturing hub. The PLA Navy gradually transformed from a defensive-offensive force to a force capable of conducting operations outside the region and gained the status of ‘Blue Water Navy’. Modernization, which began three decades ago, focused on ships, air weapons, fighter aircraft, doctrine building, training, multilateral exercises, etc. The 2015 Chinese Defense White Paper called for securing the Sea Line of Communications (SLOC) as part of national interests and stated that these maritime links are vital to China’s future.
China is in fear of India
The Indian Ocean, which is India’s maritime backyard, is a vital route for global East-West trade and China is establishing maritime bases south of India to safeguard its Maritime Silk Road (MSR). The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is home to approximately 2.5 billion people, with some global economies, such as India, existing as a major power in the region. The Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Strait of Malacca and the Mozambique Channel are important routes in the region and are important for China’s global trade. A Congressional Research Service report said China wants its navy to ‘prevent US intervention in a conflict over Taiwan or any other issue in China’s near-maritime area, or failing that, to deter US forces from intervening’ Delay their arrival or reduce their effectiveness.
How powerful is India in the sea?
Former Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar had last year said that the indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2 (IAC-2) would be a replicated version of INS Vikrant. He said, ‘We are still working on what size IAC-2 should be and what capabilities it should have. But, for now, we have put it on hold as we have just recently commissioned INS Vikrant and we are quite happy with the performance of the ship in the trials. He further said, ‘A lot of expertise has been achieved in the construction of IAC-1. We are seriously looking at repeat orders for IAC-1 rather than building IAC-2. With this, we can take advantage of the expertise available in the country and we will also be able to boost the economy. INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya are built on the STOBAR platform and are equipped with MiG-29K fighter aircraft. Naval versions of Rafale and Tejas will soon replace the MiGs. Production of INS Vishal will begin soon, but it will take several years for the new aircraft carrier to become operational. One must also take into account China’s larger economy and defense budget three times that of India. The Quad alliance between the US, India, Australia and Japan for the security of the Indo-Pacific region and the Indian Navy’s regular multilateral exercises in the region ensure regional presence and dominance.