PLAN commission of the day: Haibing 722 Icebreaker

New icebreaker joins PLA Navy in Liaoning
Source: China Military OnlineEditor: Ouyang
2016-01-05 17:220


The CCTV screenshot shows the newly-commissioned Haibing 722, the first ship of the Type-272 icebreakers of the PLA Navy.

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (ChinaMil) -- Haibing 722, the first ship of the Type-272 icebreakers of the PLA Navy, has started its military service with a ceremony marking its commission held at a naval port in Huludao, northeast China's Liaoning province a few days ago.

The Haibing 722 will take on the tasks of ice condition investigation, ice breaking and maritime search and rescue in ice zone in the Bohai waters.

The icebreaker, designed and built independently by China, started to be built in November 2013 and was launched in March 2015. It is 103.10 meters long and 18.40 meters wide with a full-load displacement of 4,860 tons and a maximum speed of 18 knots. it is able to resist force 12 wind and navigate continuously up to 7,000 sea miles.

There is a helicopter platform on the Haibing 722 where one Z-8 helicopter can take off and land.

PLA Navy's first generation Haibing 722, the newly-built icebreaker's predecessor, was made in Qiuxin Ship Plant in Shanghai with the approval of the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) in 1969. The construction only spent 103 days and the icebreaker was launched on Dec. 26, 1969. After 44 years of active service in the PLA Navy, the icebreaker retired in June 2013.

During its decades-long service time, the first generation Haibing 722 performed various missions with flying colors including search and rescue, breaking ice and piloting ships, investigating ice conditions, conducting training exercises and so on.

Besides the Haibing 722, on the list of those Chinese naval ships which have inherited the name or hull number of their previous-generation ships are the Type-052B guided missile destroyer Guangzhou, the Type-052D guided missile destroyers Kunming, Jinan, Xi'an and Changsha as well as the Type-056 corvette Fushun.

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Global warming?? I guess they won't be needing a replacement icebreaker anytime soon.

Monday, June 17, 2013

IceBreaker 722 decommissioned.

The PLAN decommissioned its Yanha class icebreaker 722 this month after 44 years of service.

This small PLAN icebreaker is no Soviet style mammoth capable cutting through the thick of frozen Arctic layers -- The PLAN used the Yanha class mainly to push away icy waters of the Bohai Sea.    With the previous transfer of 722's sister ship 723 to the China Coast Guard in Dec 20th, 2012, this leaves the PLAN with no ice-breaking asset under it's command.

No worries, there are plenty of  One-Liners to break-the-ice at a blind date, such as this one "There are three kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can't. "

Boring logistics picture of the day: Y-20 Strategic Airlifter "expect to deliver to the PLA soon"

Together with the J-20, the Y-20 program is also moving forward with more prototypes and "expect to deliver to the PLA soon"

Picture of the fifth Y-20 Strategic Airlifter prototype 785.  It rolled out of Xi'an Aircraft Company last September. 

Must...have...more Y-20  Strategic Airlifters

 PLA 'needs to boost its readiness'
Source: China DailyEditor: Ouyang
2016-01-04 10:030

Large transporter planes, satellites are called for to play a bigger role

The People's Liberation Army will need to make significant changes following a historic reshuffle of its branches, according to experts.

They were speaking after President Xi Jinping announced on Thursday the establishment of the PLA Army Headquarters, the PLA Rocket Force and the PLA Strategic Support Force.

The experts said the PLA will need to set up inter-services platforms and more universal hardware to improve its combat readiness.

Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said, "President Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of information and joint operation capabilities, which I believe are pillars to winning modern warfare.

"So, the PLA should give priority to developing an inter-services command and logistics system."

He said the PLA Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force, which was established on Thursday to replace the Second Artillery Corps and manage strategic missiles, currently have their own platforms to handle information, maneuver units and arrange logistics.

Wang said these separate platforms should be integrated to allow a smoother command chain. He also suggested that a universal early-warning and control system and long-range transporter aircraft are needed for all services, rather than just the air force.

Wang said large planes like the Y-20, which made its maiden flight in January 2013, and which developers expect to deliver to the PLA soon, will make troop deployment easier, enabling the military to act more promptly and to better respond to emergencies.

He said the army, the PLA's largest branch, should develop a next-generation main battle tank, which he proposed should be highly automated and have better information capability than the current Type-99A tank.

Cao Weidong, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said that for the army, air force, navy and missile forces to act in concert with each other, more military satellites will be needed as they will play an increasingly important role in obtaining information and transmitting directives among different fighting units.

"The air force and navy will need more equipment that can perform or support long-range operations. For instance, the navy will need amphibious assault ships, large supply vessels and advanced guided missile destroyers, while the air force will pursue long-range refueling aircraft," he said.

Wu Peixin, a military observer in Beijing, said the PLA should develop new individual smart weapons and portable logistics devices, which will strengthen each soldier's combat capability.

Friday, February 08, 2013

CCTV capture of the day: Y-20 "angry bird" close up.

China's new Rocket Force conducts its first drill

New PLA Rocket Force conducts desert, forest drills
Source: Global TimesEditor: Zhang Tao
2016-01-05 09:240

Several missile brigades of the newly-formed Rocket Force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted military drills in the desert and snow-covered forests at the start of 2016, to enhance combat ability in extreme weather and environmental conditions.

China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday the missile brigades developed over 10 new tactics for snowfield combat, including rapid mobility methods and tactics to avoid airstrikes.

In the desert, the brigades simultaneously launched about 10 missiles, which reflects progress in the missile brigades' firepower, the CCTV reported.

The PLA Rocket Force, along with two other new bodies - the PLA Army General Command and the PLA Strategic Support Force - were launched on Thursday, as part of the country's military reform.

Chinese military experts said that the PLA Rocket Force, as China's fourth service, is on par with the army, navy and air force.

The PLA Rocket Force, renamed from the PLA Second Artillery Force, will be used for both nuclear deterrence and conventional warfare, said Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert.

Song said that more troops will be used for the rocket force, and the current ones will be adjusted according to the two different functions - nuclear deterrence and conventional warfare.

"It is likely that the PLA Rocket Force will be used in future military combat," Song told the Global Times.

He said that the force has more functions and troops than the previous one.

"The most important function shift is that the new rocket force will be a commanding unit for land-, air- and sea-based nuclear power, while the previous force was only responsible for land-based nuclear power," Song said.

A Wuhan-based military professor, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Monday that China will enhance medium- and long-range precision missile strike capabilities after the rocket force's launch.

Reiterating its no-first-use nuclear weapons policy and defensive nuclear strategy, Yang Yujun, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, said on Friday that China always keeps its nuclear capability at a minimum level required for safeguarding its national security, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

PLAN Commission of the day: Type054A FFG532 Jing Zhou

The PLAN commissioned its 21st Type054A FFG today at Shanghai's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard.  FFG532 is the 7th Type054A assigned to the East Sea Fleet.

 Jing Zhou's fight song.

Boring logistics picture of the day: The launch of the type091 55,000 ton replenishment tanker

Photos of the day: Type091 getting ready to launch

Friday, November 27, 2015

Photos of the day: China's type 901 replenishment tanker taking shape

Saturday, November 21, 2015

China's new über 55,000 ton replenishment tanker (Type901)

For the last 12 months, there has been a hint that a 55,000t class new AOE  is under construction at GSI's Longxue shipyard.  Well,  judging from this latest set of photos, they are making good progress.

Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics -- The PLAN is taking this military maxim to heart.

PLAN Commission of the day: 960 Dongping Hu

960 Dongping Hu was commissioned on 12/28/2015.   In a rather short period of 6 months, the PLAN's blue water operations are supplemented by three new replenishment ships (960, 961 and 962). 

While the Type 903A replenishment ship class is not as newsworthy as the 001A LIAONING II Class CV but they are needed if the PLAN were to put an operational carrier strike group out at sea.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

South Sea Fleet commissions three support ships in a single day.

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (ChinaMil) -- The South China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy has embraced three new vessels. A ceremony marking the beginning of military service of the three vessels, the supply ship Luguhu, the electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune and the pelagic survey vessel Qian Xuesen was held at a naval port in the South China Sea on Saturday.

These three vessels are all independently designed and built by China.

The biggest differences between the Type 904B supply ship Luguhu (Hull No. 962) and its predecessor Type 904A supply ship Fuxianhu are that, instead of the portal frame type platform, which is specific to the comprehensive supply ship, on the supply ship Luguhu, there are two davits mounted on each side in the middle section of the ship and a hangar which enhances the vertical replenishment capacity.

The ship is designed to provide material supply for the troops stationed in the Nansha islands, and undertake such tasks as providing supply for a ship formation and maritime medical aid at a certain degree.

The Type 815G electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune (Hull No. 852) is able to conduct continuous all-weather reconnaissance of various targets within a certain range.

The Qian Xuesen (Hull No. 873) is the third ship of the Type 636A pelagic survey vessel family. It mainly conducts survey of oceans and reefs, marine meteorology observation and layout of hydrometeorological buoys to provide basic data to guarantee navigation safety and carry out marine scientific research.

The sound attenuation is the most remarkable performance of the survey vessel, which is even more excellent than that of the Russian Kilo-class submarines known as the “ocean black hole” in the world.

Supply ship Luguhu

  Electronic reconnaissance ship Neptune.

  Type 636A pelagic survey vessel Qian Xuesen

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

PLAN Commission of the day: 961 Junshanhu, a new 904B Replenishment tanker

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Photos of the day: PLAN's three new fleet replenishment ships got their pennant numbers

They are 960, 961 and 962

Send In the PLAN Marine

Shortly after the passage of new law authorizing the PLA to conduct counter-terrorism operations overseas, the PLAN marine now heads to Xinjing for some baptism of fire under "desert conditions".    Coincidence?

Chinese marines leave for military training in Xinjiang
Source: XinhuaEditor: Dong Zhaohui
2016-01-02 16:250

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Chinese marines will be deployed in the next few days to a training base in northwest China's Xinjiang to begin their first military exercise of 2016.

As the Chinese military expands its training sites and conditions, the Xinjiang base gives troops a real combat situation under desert conditions.

Previous drills were conducted at a training base in north China's Inner Mongolia, cold regions in northeast China, and in highland jungles.

The drill will improve troops' fighting abilities "in a wider area, a larger space and in a more complicated environment," said a military source.

The soldiers will be transported via a 5,900-kilometer route from southern province of Guangdong to Xinjiang by train, air or truck. Their mobilization, desert combat tactics and coordination will be tested, and they will also carry out a combat exercise with an infantry division of the Lanzhou Military Area Command.

Photos from last year's Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) drill

Sunday, December 27, 2015

New Law Allows PLA to Undertake Counterterror Missions Overseas

China's new counter-terrorism law has made it legal for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to participate in counterterror missions overseas.
The PLA and the country's armed police forces may carry out such operations with the approval from the Central Military Commission, says the law adopted by top legislature on Sunday.
Public security and national security authorities may also send personnel overseas for counter-terrorism missions, with the approval from the State Council and agreements from concerned countries.
The law also stipulates that related departments, authorized by the State Council, may collaborate with overseas governments and international organizations in holding policy dialogues, communicating on intelligence information, enforcing the law and regulating international capitals.
The new law comes at a delicate time for China and for the world at large - terror attacks in Paris, the bombing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt, and the brutal killings of hostages committed by the notorious Islamic State (IS) extremist group are alerting the world about an ever-growing threat of terrorism.
It will provide legal support to the country's counter-terrorism activities as well as collaboration with the international society, said An Weixing, an official with the public security ministry, at Sunday's press conference.