Redefining Naval Warfare — China’s PLA-N Gets Ready To Deploy ‘Drone Swarms’ In Minutes From New Vessel

[Beijingwalker]

Redefining Naval Warfare — China’s PLA-N Gets Ready To Deploy ‘Drone Swarms’ In Minutes From New Vessel​

By Shubhangi Palve
-September 24, 2024

Some call it a light aircraft carrier, others claim it’s a drone carrier, but all agree: it’s unlike anything the world has seen before. As the first of its kind, this mysterious vessel is set to redefine naval warfare.

Recently, a five-month standoff between Manila and Beijing over a contested maritime feature in the South China Sea took a new turn when the Philippine Coast Guard flagship, BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), withdrew from the area and sailed into the Sulu Sea.

This is just one example of the growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, media reports are speculating that China could launch its fixed-wing drone carrier, the Type-076, by 2025. Its debut will undoubtedly prompt Indo-Pacific nations to reassess their military strategies.

Type-076: Waves Of The Future​

The Type-076, a successor to the Chinese Navy’s Type-075 amphibious assault helicopter carrier, has been a topic of discussion for nearly four years across various levels and platforms.

In September 2023, Shanghai’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard publicly announced the start of construction on the first Type 076, signaling the completion of the design phase and the transition to building the vessel.

In May 2024, Satellite images from the Jiangsu Dayang shipyard, nestled far upriver from Shanghai on the Yangtze River, revealed China’s best-kept secret: a new aircraft carrier designed specifically for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to the report, “this ‘mystery ship,’ which was launched in December 2022 but only recently reported, differs from standard US or Chinese aircraft carriers. It is notably smaller—about one-third the length and half the width of typical supercarriers—and features an ‘anachronistic’ straight deck layout that prevents simultaneous takeoff and landing operations.”

J. Michael Dahm, a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute, Melbourne, notes that the shipyard where it is being built is Jiangsu Dayang Marine. It is the same shipyard that has previously built simulated enemy ships for the PLAN. All these years, China has been simulating Western and Western-leaning naval ships in its weapons testing program.

The Catamaran Giant​

The launch of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type-003 Fujian, impressed many with its advanced electromagnetic catapult system, and the world took note of China’s naval might.

However, China’s fourth carrier stands out from the previous three with its unique catamaran hull design, which offers a larger deck area.

A catamaran hull in an aircraft carrier refers to a design featuring two parallel hulls united by a platform instead of a single central hull. The twin-hull design provides a larger and more stable deck area, which can be useful for accommodating various aircraft and equipment.

Despite this, it isn’t suited for high-tempo or extended flight operations due to a hangar deck below the flight deck and the flight deck being lower than other carriers. These features have led to speculation that this fourth carrier might be a dedicated drone carrier for the People’s Liberation Army Navy as China looks to push military drone usage to the next level.

File Image: Chinese Socia Media

Fixed-Wing Drone Carrier ​

The real magic happens below deck. The Type 076 features an advanced catapult system similar to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).

This 100-meter catapult, akin to those on the Chinese Navy’s new CV18 Fujian aircraft carrier, is a defining feature of the vessel. Notably, the trench designed for the electromagnetic catapult will enable the launch of fixed-wing aircraft at full load capacity, turning this amphibious assault ship into a launchpad for aerial domination.

This cutting-edge technology enhances the deployment of Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) aircraft, setting the Type 076 apart from traditional amphibious assault ships. According to reports, this carrier can operate UAVs and smaller airframes with a wingspan of around 65 feet.

By integrating an advanced catapult system, the Type 076 ushers in a new era of air support for amphibious operations, allowing faster and more flexible deployment of aerial assets.

Its ability to deploy swarms of drones for electronic warfare and precision strikes could tip the balance in China’s favor in hotly contested areas like the South China Sea.

Electronic Blue Force​

As tensions simmer with Japan in the northeast, Taiwan in the east, and the Philippines in the South China Sea, coupled with US naval dominance, the region is a critical global hotspot that impacts world peace.

The arrival of China’s new warship couldn’t have come at a more critical time, making efforts to counter China’s rapid militarization increasingly challenging.

In the South China Sea, where China is embroiled in territorial disputes, the Type 076 could bolster its power projection and assert control over contested waters. Its ability to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for electronic warfare and direct strikes could significantly enhance China’s operational reach in these contested areas.

This carrier stands apart from existing naval systems worldwide, offering unique capabilities that enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) abilities. As China progresses on its path to becoming a “Blue Water Navy,” this vessel is poised to play a significant role.

 

[Beijingwalker]

China Plans to Launch GJ-11 Stealthy Drone From Amphibious Assault Ship​

China Central Television published an animated graphic showing its armed GJ-11 stealthy drone launching from a Type 075 amphibious assault ship

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

By Kris Osborn, President, Warrior


Observers at the Pentagon tracking the rapid expansion and modernization of the People’s Liberation Army – Navy are likely paying close attention to when, or if, the Chinese Navy will succeed with efforts to launch and recover a stealthy drone from an amphibious assault ship.

China Central Television published an animated graphic showing its armed GJ-11 stealthy drone launching from a Type 075 amphibious assault ship, a possibility which … should it come to fruition .. could potentially put the People’s Liberation Army – Navy in a position to much more fully challenge US maritime power projection.

The animated graphic, published by CCTV as a video in 2021, appears to be a “concept” rendering and not an actual demonstration, therefore at very least it reveals the PLA’s “intention” or ambition to engineer such a capability.

While it cannot be confirmed that the GJ-11 can launch from one of China’s new amphibs, the possibility would be quite concerning to many at the Pentagon as it would enable the PLA Navy to protect stealth attack power from the sea at a wide range of locations.

This capability may just be a “wish” or developing “concept” being advanced by the PLA, yet the GJ-11 stealthy drone has been shown publicly on multiple occasions and does operate with internal weapons bays. The question is, can it launch and land on an amphib? That would require the integration of certain complex technologies, propulsion systems and navigational systems.

Landing a Drone on an Amphib?

Landing a drone on a carrier is difficult enough, as it is something the US Navy pioneered more than ten years ago by landing the stealthy-looking X-47B demonstrator drone on a carrier deck.

This was historic due to the mixture of variables involved in making this technologically possible. At the time, US Navy weapons developers talked often about the challenges of engineering an unmanned platform capable of autonomously landing on a carrier deck, explaining that the drone needs to account for wind speed, sea state, glide slopes and a wide range of complexities associated with landing an aircraft on a carrier.

However, this was accomplished and the Navy not only demonstrated its ability to do this a decade ago but is now preparing for the operational arrival of a first-of-its-kind carrier-launched refueler drone called the MQ-25 Stingray.

It is not clear if China is anywhere close to accomplishing this or operating large sea-launched drones, yet they are known to be developing several prototypes of a first-of-its kind carrier-launched 5th-generation J-31 stealth fighter. However, the PLA Navy does not appear to operate anything like an MQ-25 or fly impactful numbers of operational J-31s, a circumstance which unquestionably gives the US Navy a technological and tactical advantage.


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Furthermore, apart from the challenges of landing stealthy drones on an aircraft carrier, engineering a large unmanned system for a short-take-off-and-landing on a much smaller amphibious assault ship is even more difficult.

The US Marine Corps of course operates the vertical-take-off-and-landing stealthy F-35B in impactful numbers as the US Navy can travel the seas with as many as 20 of them on board an America-class big deck amphib.

China does not appear to have any equivalent to the F-35B, something which gives the US a decided maritime warfare advantage. China’s J-31 stealthy carrier-launched fighter only exists in prototype form and reportedly is a carrier-launched jet more like an F-35C.

However, an ability to launch a stealthy attack drone from amphibs such as its new Type 075 amphibious assault ships would rival a 5th-generation stealthy amphib-launched air-attack capability. Nonetheless, even if an amphib-capable GJ-11 did exist in the near future, it seems unlikely they will be able to operate in any way similar to the Corps’ ability to project 5th-gen combat f

Chinese Type 075 Amphibs



The expected timeline of an actual “flight” of the GJ-11 from a new PLA-Navy Type 075 amphib may be difficult to determine, yet the PLA-Navy is building its new class of amphibs with an expanded aviation capability, much like the US Navy approach to its first two America-class amphibs .. the USS America and USS Tripoli.

China’s first of its new fleet of Type 075 amphibious assault ships, called the Hainan, has been using air platforms to expand its ability to conduct multi-domain operations, a move which may help the ship ultimately accommodate a GJ-11 stealthy drone.

The surface-to-air attack networking ability of these new Chinese amphibs is greatly strengthened by the addition of the Z-18J early warning helicopter, Z-9 anti-submarine helicopter and Z-8C transport helicopter, according to a Chinese Communist Party-backed newspaper called the Global Times.

GJ-11 Weapons

Made by a Chinese company called AVIC, the GJ-11 is reported by the Chinese-government-backed Global Times as having two weapons bays between the drone’s landing gear. Each bay, the paper says, has four bomb locations which appear like guided precision air-to-ground bombs.

Will the new GJ-11 Chinese platform fire HELLFIRE-like air-to-ground precision missiles? Or even drop glide bombs? The specific weapons characteristics are not likely to be available, however a Chinese government backed newspaper says the drone is built with two internal weapons bays, each with four bomb locations.

Of course the U.S. operates several strike drones such as the less-stealthy Reaper, yet available info on the stealthy RQ-170 suggests it is unarmed. It can be difficult to optimize a blend of what might be tough to combine characteristics, as weapons pylons or weight and size-adding internal weapons bays can make the engineering of a super stealthy platform more challenging.

While the U.S. is pursuing a stealthy armed “long-shot” attack drone with DARPA and industry, the RQ-170 is not armed and platforms such as the B-2 are of course manned. In fact, the Chinese paper specifically says the GJ-11 configuration resembles a “flying wing design similar to the US’ B-2 strategic bomber.”

China Plans to Launch GJ-11 Stealthy Drone From Amphibious Assault Ship - Warrior Maven

China Central Television published an animated graphic showing its armed GJ-11 stealthy drone launching from a Type 075 amphibious assault ship China Plans to Launch GJ-11 Stealthy Drone From Amphibious Assault Ship

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