It's just a peaceful pipe carrier!
The Chinese don't celebrate Christmas; it's just not their holiday. However, they know how to put on something special, with special effects, and it seems to be becoming a fine tradition at Christmas.
Last year, as you may recall, everyone was literally on their ears due to the "accidental" demonstration of footage of two stealth fighter prototypes. Many considered it a successful fake, but after a while everything fell into place: the fighters are "in the metal" and flying, carrying out some unknown test programs.
This year, the neighbors decided to put a strain on the maritime component of their enemies by showing... a certain cargo ship, the cargo of which is modular missile installations. Well, to such a load it was quite logical to add a very modern AESA radar and weapon Defense short range.
The result is a kind of pipe carrier, capable of protecting itself in a difficult situation. And given that difficult situations are emerging all over the world today, from the Caribbean to the Red Sea, not to mention the Baltic, North, and Black Seas, a pipe carrier desperately needs protection. And, apparently, it has it.
It appears the Chinese have acquired at least one such example, a mid-sized cargo ship filled with containerized vertical launch tubes, as well as sensors and self-defense systems. The message is clear: China is signaling that it can and likely will convert ships from its giant commercial fleet. fleet not just into floating launchers, but into arsenal ships.
It's actually very difficult to separate one from the other, but the gist is clear: a large ship with a large number of launchers, protected by frigates or destroyers, can go to any point on the globe and there...
The vessel's deck is equipped with containers used for both weapons storage and deployment, as well as for mounting sensors. In other words, the design is a kind of improvised modification that allows the cargo ship to be transformed into a kind of surface combatant with powerful weapons.
This includes installing a large rotating phased array radar forward of the bridge with additional equipment in three containers, and installing another dome radar or communications system in two containers across the deck from it.
A more detailed view of the radar and CIWS system on the vessel
At the bow of the vessel, high above the two containers, we see a 30mm Type 1130 Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) to defend against incoming threats, especially cruise missiles. 11-barrel artillery The system, with a rate of fire of over 10,000 rounds per minute, is capable of shooting down cruise missiles flying at speeds of up to Mach 4 with a probability of up to 96%.
One container below, on both sides, we see Type 726 decoy launchers mounted on another pair of containers. The large cylindrical containers appear to be emergency life rafts, necessary due to the increased crew complement.
A more detailed view of the radar and CIWS system on the vessel
Then we get to something truly mind-blowing: the deck is literally covered with containers housing vertical launch tubes. Five across and three deep, each containing four large launch tubes—the ship has a total of 60 vertical launch tubes for large missiles. That's two-thirds the number of launchers for Arleigh Burke Flight I or II class missiles.
But it's worth remembering that, unlike a bulk carrier equipped with cranes, a destroyer's crew must expend significantly more effort reloading its launchers, and some missiles (such as Tomahawks) can only be loaded in port. Even if the Chinese ship isn't designed for reloading at sea, the load is already quite substantial: remember, the Arleigh Burke's 96 launchers hold ALL the missiles the destroyer can use in combat missions.
The standard armament set of the destroyers' UVP consists of 74 RIM-66 SM-2 anti-aircraft missiles, 8 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 8 RUM-139 VL-Asroc anti-submarine missiles in the multi-role version, or 56 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 34 RIM-66 SM-2 and RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles in the strike version.
That is, if a pair of such "pipe carriers" were to be covered from all threats by normal military ships, each "pipe carrier" would carry more cruise missiles than the Arleigh Burke in its strike version.
But here, you know, there is something to think about for those who are planning a quick war in the Pacific Ocean.
Judging by its large radar mount, this ship functions more as a specialized vessel than a simple arsenal ship, providing, for example, air defense. But this doesn't mean its container launchers can't be equipped with other weapons. This option could be useful for continuous air defense of a given area, and given that Chinese surface-to-air missiles today perform almost as well as Russian ones, this is something to consider. Indian pilots, who have experienced them firsthand, could offer advice.
The ship from the other side
Be that as it may, it is an amusing spectacle, and there are rumors that China is going down this path in an effort to achieve its main goal - to protect itself from "raids" at sea, since, indeed, the country has many opponents there in different blocs, of which the United States is the main member.
We have already seen Chinese commercial vessels used as makeshift helicopter carriers and ferries converted for island landings during exercises.
It's also worth noting that containerized weapons systems have evolved from a controversial novelty to mainstream over the past decade, an area in which the United States, to put it mildly, lags far behind. While work is underway, China's advantage in terms of spatial and physical capabilities is undeniable.
Let me translate: the Chinese already have ships, but the US continues to “work”.
Of course, information experts like the Americans have launched a maximum attack on China:
The images of a Chinese cargo ship converted into a floating missile base are impressive, but they raise the question: how realistic is this configuration? It looks like it was prepared for these images.
Is this a demonstration model or just a mockup? How robust are the radar and anti-aircraft gun mounts, for example? A closer look at the images reveals that the radar mount appears relatively robust, but it's difficult to draw any conclusions at this point. The radar could be vulnerable due to its close proximity to the ship's aft superstructure, although there are ways to address this. And just because all this can be installed on a commercial vessel doesn't mean it will be able to effectively utilize these sensors and weapons.
What combat information system is installed on the ship to integrate all these systems and use them effectively in combat?
At this point, we just don't know.
Is this a demonstration model or just a mockup? How robust are the radar and anti-aircraft gun mounts, for example? A closer look at the images reveals that the radar mount appears relatively robust, but it's difficult to draw any conclusions at this point. The radar could be vulnerable due to its close proximity to the ship's aft superstructure, although there are ways to address this. And just because all this can be installed on a commercial vessel doesn't mean it will be able to effectively utilize these sensors and weapons.
What combat information system is installed on the ship to integrate all these systems and use them effectively in combat?
At this point, we just don't know.
No, they're beautiful, that's all there is to it. They're capable, the bastards. But the whole problem is that the raft of questions posed can only be answered under two conditions: either competent experts can examine the "pipe carrier," or the ship unleashes all its weapons on a target.
Both options are incredibly interesting. But until now, all possible uses for such ships have been shrouded in not so much mystery as uncertainty.
This doesn't mean that developing customized weapons configurations for commercial vessels isn't a good strategy. Some might argue that this would "turn every vessel into a target" during a conflict, but the advantage of such a ready-to-use solution is clear. China, with its massive fleet of cargo ships and enormous shipbuilding capacity, could exploit this concept to such an extent that it would pose a huge challenge to the US and its allies. Simply put, there won't be enough missiles on conventional warships.
On the other hand, as we have previously suggested, the US Navy will likely have to follow a similar path, as it is inferior in shipbuilding to the People's Liberation Army Navy of China, and this difference will likely only increase over time.
But it's worth diving into history And remember that at one time, the United States implemented a similar program brilliantly. For those who don't remember, many Americans with a grasp of naval affairs believe that World War II in the Pacific was won not by battleships and attack carriers, but by destroyers and escort carriers. They truly prevailed by sheer numbers, because at almost every point on a hypothetical Pacific front line, there could have been a ship capable of raining down bombs on submarines and shells and torpedoes on surface targets. And the aircraft that took off from escort carriers, while not in the same numbers as from attack carriers, took off and performed their job just as well.
Therefore, there is a certain confidence that the United States will rush to chase China in the area of alternative types of weapons.
We'll be discussing the concept of Chinese armed cargo ships more than once in the coming days. And judging by last year, this may not be the only "unexpected Christmas gift" Beijing will offer in the near future.
The implementation of this idea brought to mind a very old joke from the Soviet era:
TASS message.
Yesterday morning, a Soviet civilian tractor was plowing a control strip near the Chinese border. A passing Chinese border patrol fired a single, unaimed rifle shot in the tractor's direction.
In response, tractor driver Petrov lifted his vehicle into the air, weeded 500 hectares of adjacent territory, then turned on the afterburners and headed back to his base.
In connection with the incident, TASS is authorized to state: if similar provocations are repeated, the Soviet government will send a trainload of mowers, threshers, seeders, winnowing machines, and other agricultural equipment, as well as a batch of mineral fertilizers with nerve agent, to the disposal of the collective farm chairman.
Yesterday morning, a Soviet civilian tractor was plowing a control strip near the Chinese border. A passing Chinese border patrol fired a single, unaimed rifle shot in the tractor's direction.
In response, tractor driver Petrov lifted his vehicle into the air, weeded 500 hectares of adjacent territory, then turned on the afterburners and headed back to his base.
In connection with the incident, TASS is authorized to state: if similar provocations are repeated, the Soviet government will send a trainload of mowers, threshers, seeders, winnowing machines, and other agricultural equipment, as well as a batch of mineral fertilizers with nerve agent, to the disposal of the collective farm chairman.
So far, this is the peaceful pipe carrier the Chinese have created. We look forward to more.
Information