五角大樓：中國提升核準備
北京去年增加130架轟炸機及受訓作美國基地攻擊
Pentagon: China Boosts Nuclear Readiness
Beijing adds 130 bombers in past year and trained for strikes on U.S. bases

August 17th, 2018

China added significant numbers of bombers to its military forces in the past year as part of a large-scale military buildup targeting the United States, a Pentagon's report on the Chinese military says.

The annual report to Congress also reveals that China's People's Liberation Army increased long-range bomber flights further from Chinese coasts and conducted training for airstrikes against the U.S. bases in Asia.

"Over the last three years, the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against U.S. and allied targets," the report said.

This year's report, made public Thursday night, is 30-pages longer than the 2017 version and highlights China's growing asymmetric warfare capabilities. Those capabilities include space weapons, advanced cyber attack capabilities, information warfare tools, and electronic warfare systems designed for short, high-intensity conflicts.

"China is advancing a comprehensive military modernization program aimed at making the PLA into a ‘world-class' military by 2049," the report said. "This program includes improvements to military capabilities to conduct nuclear deterrence, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), and power projection operations."

One striking disclosure in the report is the buildup of Chinese bombers.

Over the past year, the number of Chinese bombers and strike aircraft increased by 130, from 400 bombers in 2016 year to 530 bombers last year.

Special mission aircraft, such as transport and refueling planes, also increased by 15.

China also expanded its coast guard forces adding 55 coast guard ships to its forces. The increase likely reflects China's efforts to seek to control contested waters in the South China Sea and East China Sea.

The total number of active ground troops also increased over the past year with the addition of 65,000 combat troops.

The increase is unusual since China has been seeking to streamline its ground forces by retiring large military personnel.

The PLA reduced the number of group armies around the country from 18 to 13 over the past year.

Military reforms have led to large-scale protests in Beijing and several others cities by groups of former PLA soldiers seeking better treatment from the government.

China also added 400 tanks and 2,600 artillery pieces over the past year.

Strategic nuclear forces in China also are expanding and the report said the PLA is increasing the readiness of its nuclear forces.

"China is enhancing peacetime readiness levels for these nuclear forces to ensure responsiveness," the report says.

Chinese military writings indicate the PLA Rocket Forces, the service in charge of nuclear systems, have discussed the use of "launch on warning"—a heightened readiness for attacks based on improved surveillance of foreign nuclear forces and streamlined military decision-making "to enable a more rapid response to enemy attack," the report said.

The Chinese also are developing a space-based early warning system to support the launch on warning nuclear posture.

Launch on warning refers to nuclear posturing that calls for launching nuclear missiles from launchers and bombers before an enemy's warheads or bombs reach targets in China.

Most of China's nuclear strike forces are long- and medium-range missiles and all are being upgraded as part of the buildup.

"ICBMs debuting or under development represent a significant improvement in China’s nuclear-capable missile forces," the report said.

The current force of up to 100 ICBMs includes six types of solo-based and road-mobile missiles including many equipped with multiple, independently targeted reentry vehicles or MIRVs.

Two additional missiles are in development, including the multiple-warhead DF-41—to be deployed on road-mobile, rail-mobile and silo launchers, and an additional road-mobile ICBM.

China also is expanding its submarine forces with new ballistic missile and attack submarines. Four nuclear missile submarines are deployed and at least one more is under construction.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/pentagon-china-boosts-nuclear-readiness/