A Force To Be Reckoned With: China And Russia Are Building Some Seriously Advanced Sea-Based Weapons
Jeremiah Johnson
June 18th, 2016
SHTFplan.com
Along with the mounting tensions between the United States and China in the Pacific, and the former and Russia in the Atlantic comes a steady buildup of submarines in both respective theaters of naval combat. The Russians have been accomplishing a great deal in stealth technology, especially with Kilo-class boats converted into stealth subs. Dubbed “the black holes of the Russian Navy,” these quiet refitted diesel subs with the stealth technology are starting to roll steadily off of the assembly lines.
The Chinese are also upgrading their submarine fleet from a technological perspective (the boat) and also making improvements in their missile systems. Such actions come on the heels of American positioning in the Pacific. With all of the tensions escalating and seesawing in the two Koreas, the deployment of the Thaad Anti-ballistic missile systems in South Korea is not seen by the Chinese as a defensive measure: the hypersonic missiles can potentially hit China and alter the balance of its ground forces. This U.S. ABM-deployment occurred in March of this year.
Now the Chinese are ready to unveil submarines in the Pacific that will be armed with nuclear missiles. This is a definite game-changer that has its roots in the Senkaku islands dispute between China and Japan, but the U.S. has been flexing its muscles and inserted a fleet in the region. Also the B-1 bombers have been reactivated and are running route missions, much to the chagrin of the Chinese. They already have four Jin-class submarines in the South China sea, merely awaiting the order to proceed into the Pacific. Each Jin Submarine can carry 12 Ju-Lang (“Giant Wave”) missiles, and recently its largest missile, the DF-5 has been converted to a multiple-warhead carrying capacity.
Meanwhile in the Atlantic, the Russians are by no means being complacent with their submarine fleet. The Commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet recently wrote a paper outlining this increased Russian activity in the Atlantic. Written for the U.S. Naval Institute’s June 2016 issue of “Proceeding,” the article is entitled “The Fourth Battle of the Atlantic.” Here is an excerpt that characterizes the Vice-Admiral’s viewpoint of the Russian submarine activity:
Once again, an effective, skilled, and technologically advanced Russian submarine force is challenging us. Russian submarines are prowling the Atlantic, testing our defenses, confronting our command of the seas, and preparing the complex underwater battlespace to give them an edge in any future conflict. Not only have Russia’s actions and capabilities increased in alarming and confrontational ways, its national-security policy is aimed at challenging the United States and its NATO allies and partners.”
-Vice Admiral James Foggo III
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