 |
| China's Zhu Hai Yun Unmanned Carrier |
International Military - China, which is currently one of the most powerful countries, certainly has complete and capable military assets. The bamboo curtain nation is one of the few countries to have an aircraft carrier in its navy. China is known to have two aircraft carriers, and a third is under construction.
The third carrier (Type 003) built at Jiangnan Shipyard since 2017, is the most advanced of its two predecessors. Weighing around 100,000 tonnes, the Type 003 is heavier than the Liaoning and Shandong, which weigh 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, respectively.
Read Also: Owns The 5th Generation Chengdu J-20, It Turns Out That China Also Uses a Light Class Fighter Jet
The difference from the Type 003 from its predecessors is that the Liaoning and Shandong still adapt the "ski jump" design. Thus, the weight and type of aircraft that can glide on it are very limited, or can only be used by short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, quoted from Defense View.
The Type 003 will adopt a US aircraft carrier with a flat-deck design and feature an electromagnetic catapult that can launch heavier aircraft.
Want to outperform the US navy
The carrier is at the heart of the Chinese Navy's plan to overthrow the US naval force. More specifically, China wants to achieve the success of their amphibious invasion of Taiwan. The Type 003 is China's first modern aircraft carrier, destined to pass through the so-called "first island chain".
Read Also: Bergamini Class Qualification Not AAW, But Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) Specialization
Quoted from the Military Times, the first island chain itself refers to the main archipelago of the East Asian mainland coast that stretches from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the northeast to the Malay Peninsula in the southwest. The new Chinese carrier is expected to be fully operational by 2025 and is equipped with a number of advanced electronic warfare (EW) devices and modern catapults. These cutting-edge technologies are a major technological upgrade for China, the Jakarta Zone quoted the Military Times as saying.
Quoted from the Military Times, Matthew P. Funaiole, an international defense analyst "Currently, there are only two countries (US and France) whose aircraft carriers adopt the CATOBAR launch system. And Type 003 Chia enters this list," because the two previous Chinese aircraft carriers (Liaoning and Shandong) used the STOBAR launch system, which is a "ski jump" deck design.
Read Also: Zhu Hai Yun, The World's First Unmanned Aircraft Carrier Made In China
Where the STOBAR system limits starting from the weight and type of aircraft that can be launched. With the CATOBAR launch system, China's Type 003 is capable of launching larger and more diverse aircraft in the future.
China's original unmanned ship: a new breakthrough
China is rumored to have officially launched the unmanned vessel on Wednesday, May 13 last, reports the South China Morning Post news agency. Named Zhu Hai Yun, it is the world's first artificial intelligence or AI ship.
Zhu Hai Yun was built by Guangzhou of Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard since 2011. As a ship with AI that can move autonomously, it is a new species of marine technology that will bring about revolutionary changes globally.
Read Also: Equipped with AI, China Launches World's First Aircraft Carrier Drone "Zhu Hai Yun"
Throughout this decade, the use of unmanned platforms, ranging from cars, military drones and even robots began to be developed in many countries. This autonomous or unmanned capability is considered very efficient which aims to provide a safer, cheaper and easier operational experience, quoted from Interesting Engineering.
With the presence of Zhu Hai Yun, who brings artificial intelligence capabilities, China hopes to increase its maritime capabilities. With lower costs and higher efficiency than manned platform operations. The unmanned ship Zhu Hai Yun will be used for marine scientific research and observation.