South China Sea and China (2018 onwards)

[AdamG]

(CNN)China's first domestically built aircraft carrier began sea trials on Sunday, a historic step in the country's mission to build a navy capable of rivaling the world's leading maritime powers.

The new aircraft carrier, temporarily named Type 001A, sailed out at around 7 a.m. in Dalian, in the northeast province of Liaoning, according to reports in Chinese state media.
The 50,000-tonne ship will become the country's second aircraft carrier, and the first to be entirely built and designed inside of China, when it joins the navy sometime before 2020.
The carrier's maiden sea trial follows a speech given by Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 12, in which he announced plans to build a "world-class" navy under the banner of the Chinese Communist Party.
China's first carrier, the Liaoning, a retrofitted Soviet-era vessel bought from the Ukraine, was hailed as the fulfillment of a "70-year dream" of the Chinese nation when it launched to much celebration in 2012.
But experts said while the new aircraft carrier will dramatically boost China's military power in the Asia region, its technology was still outdated and lagged far behind the world's naval superpower, the United States.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/12/asia/...ntl/index.html

[AdamG]

In a move that will not go down well with China, India has decided to hold its first ever naval exercise with Vietnam next week, Times of India has reported.
According to the report, stealth frigate INS Sahyadri, missile corvette INS Kamorta and fleet tanker INS Shakti will reach the Tien Sa Port in Vietnam’s Da Nang on Monday. These warships were on operational deployment to South East Asia and North West Pacific region as part of the Navy’s ‘mission-based deployment’ strategy.

https://swarajyamag.com/insta/much-t...tnam-next-week

[AdamG]

Chinese government hackers have compromised the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare — including secret plans to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on U.S. submarines by 2020, according to American officials.
The breaches occurred in January and February, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The hackers targeted a contractor who works for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, a military organization headquartered in Newport, R.I., that conducts research and development for submarines and underwater weaponry.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...2b1_story.html

[AdamG]

US intelligence report: China will have the world's most powerful naval gun ready for war by 2025

The warship-mounted electromagnetic railgun is expected to enter China's arsenal by 2025, according to sources with direct knowledge of a U.S. intelligence report.
Railguns have long appeared on Russian, Iranian and U.S. military wish lists as cost-effective weapons that give navies the might of a cannon with the range of a precision-guided missile.
China's railgun is capable of striking a target 124 miles away in under 90 seconds, according to the report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/21/chin...ce-report.html

[AdamG]

South Korea is already part of the Joint Strike Fighter program, having decided to buy forty F-35A fighters in 2014 for $6.75 billion. However, that is the conventional version of the fighter jets. By contrast, the F-35Bs have the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capability that would be necessary to operate the planes from the Dokdo-class ships. Thus, if South Korea decided to move forward with the plan outlined in the Yonhap report, it would have to purchase F-35Bs, along with reconfiguring the amphibious assault ships to carry fixed-wing aircraft.

South Korea has launched its second amphibious assault ship.

On May 14, South Korean officials launched the second Dokdo-class helicopter carrier. The ceremony took place in Busan at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, the company that built the vessel. Among those in attendance were Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Um Hyun-seong, according to local news outlets.

Construction of the second Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, named Marado, began in 2016. The ship will be the second largest ship in the Republic of Korea’s Navy, after the first Dokdo-class ship. Displacing 14,500 tons, the ship has a width of thirty-one meters and a length of 199 meters. The Marado can also sail at speeds approaching forty-one kilometers per hour. According to Yonhap News Agency, “It has a 20-mm Phalanx close-in weapons system, as well, while the Dokdo [the first ship in the class] is installed with the 30-mm Goalkeeper gun.” The Marado will be delivered to the South Korean Navy in late 2020 following testing.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/navy-firs...141900366.html

[AdamG]

The US Navy P-8A Poseidon jet was flying at 16,500 feet to get a view of low-lying coral reefs that have been turned into garrisons with five-storey buildings, large radar installations, power plants and runways sturdy enough to carry large military aircraft.

During the flight that was giving journalists from CNN a rare look at the islands, the crew was warned six times by the Chinese military to get out of their territory.

A voice said: “US military aircraft, this is China ... leave immediately and keep out to avoid any misunderstanding.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...na-Sea-US-Navy

[AdamG]

A Chinese destroyer that closed to within 45 yards of a U.S. Navy ship during a September mission in the South China Sea reportedly warned the American vessel it would “suffer consequences” if it didn’t redirect its course.

The People’s Republic of China destroyer Luoyang delivered the message to the USS Decatur during their September 30 showdown near Gaven Reefs, the South China Morning Post reported Sunday, citing the British Ministry of Defence's transcript of the incident.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/chines...fXUMyyUQ0nUEqQ

Link to video posting https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopo...lision-between