PLA Navy shows off ‘Chinese Aegis’ at RIMPAC 2014

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PLA Navy shows off ‘Chinese Aegis’ at RIMPAC 2014

A multinational fleet comprising vessels from China, the United States and Singapore head towards Hawaii on June 18 to participate in RIMPAC 2014. (Photo/Xinhua)

China, the United States and Japan are all deploying state-of-the-art “Aegis” destroyers at this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises, reports the World News Journal, the newspaper of the state broadcaster China Radio International.

On June 14, the PLA missile destroyer Haikou, missile frigate Yueyang, supply ship Qiandaohu and hospital ship Peace Ark assembled near Guam with the guided missile cruiser USS Chosin and guided missile destroyer USS Howard. Both US vessels are equipped with the highly-touted Aegis Combat System, which uses powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets.

The Type 52C Haikou has been hailed as the “Chinese Aegis” as it is said to have similar capabilities to US destroyers equipped with the Aegis system. The Haikou is equipped with eight YJ-8 Chinese anti-ship missiles, though most of its weapons systems are geared towards defense, with a four-array AESA multi-function phased array radar for 360-degree coverage.

Meanwhile, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force also deployed its Kongo-class guided missile destroyer JDS Kirishima, which has been modified to add the Aegis to its weapons suite.

Despite making its first appearance ever at RIMPAC, the world’s largest multinational maritime military exercise, China appears eager to show off its firepower by sending two of its most impressive vessels, the World News Journal said. Apart from the destroyer Haikou, the Type 054A frigate Yueyang is a highly capable multi-role warship class responsible for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s anti-submarine and close to mid-range defense missions.

The willingness of Japan and the US in showing off their Aegis-equipped vessels is also significant, the article said. Back in 2007, when the PLA Navy visited Japan, the US garrison stationed in Japan blocked Chinese officers from inspecting the Aegis-equipped JDS Kirishima, offering instead the JDS Tokiwa.

Chinese naval warfare researcher Li Jie says the US has long employed the “carrot and stick” strategy to China that features both contact and containment. Extending the RIMPAC invitation to China allows the US to flex its muscle to the rest of the world while also giving it the opportunity to learn about China’s strengthening military capabilities, he said, adding that the US Navy does not yet have thorough knowledge of the performance of China’s new 52C and 52D Type vessels.

On the other hand, China also has its own motives for accepting the invitation, Li said, as the PLA Navy will try to get a sneak peak at America’s newest weapons technology while also learning how to coordinate a large scale naval exercises involving multiple participants.

Source: www.wantchinatimes.com

References:

Li Jie　　李傑

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