China is continuing to modernise its military in preparation for potential conflict with Taiwan, while pursuing capabilities to counter US military dominance in airborne and spaceborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and information dominance.
The assessment comes in the US Department of Defense's latest report to the US Congress. In March, Beijing announced a 17.3% increase in defence expenditure, taking the official budget to $20 billion. The USA estimates, however, that with income from other sources the amount could be $65 billion, with the figure projected to multiply by a factor of three to four by 2020.
The report adds that for the fourth successive year Chinese purchases of Russian weaponry topped $2 billion. Much of this paid for additional Sukhoi Su-30MKKs and local co-production of Su-27 Flankers for the air force and navy, which Washington DC estimates now number 150out of its 3,200 bombers and fighters. The report says: "China's force modernisation, weaponry, pilot training, tactics and command and control are gradually beginning to erode Taiwan's qualitative edge. The number of Chinese fourth-generation fighters will eventually surpass those of Taiwan."
China has concentrated its arsenal of 450 CSS-6/7 short-range ballistic missiles in the Nanjing military region on the Taiwan Straits. This number is projected to grow by 75, and China is developing CSS-6 variants that could threaten US forces on the Japanese island of Okinawa. China is also replacing its 20 CSS-4 Mod 1 nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles with longer-range Mod 2 versions.
The reports adds that, while China appears to have abandoned efforts to acquire an aircraft carrier, it is pursuing "asymmetrical means" to counter US Navy carrier battle groups. This includes the acquisition of four Russian-built Sovremenny-class destroyers and eight Kilo-class submarines.
China is also showing interest in foreign technology that could help counter US military superiority in areas such as anti-satellite capability, GPS jamming, and kinetic, laser and radio-frequency weapons.
Source: Flight International
