China’s navy lacks the advanced underwater equipment and operational readiness needed for salvage operations in carrier-based aircraft crashes, a military magazine tied to the country’s largest state-owned shipbuilder has warned. This risks exposing sensitive technology, especially as ongoing construction of advanced carriers extends the PLA Navy’s operational range far beyond China’s coastal waters.
A military magazine tied to China’s largest state-owned shipbuilder has warned that the Chinese navy still lacks the advanced underwater equipment and operational readiness needed to effectively conduct salvage operations in the event of a carrier-based aircraft crash. The article portrayed the risks as particularly high because the ongoing construction of advanced carriers, such as the Fujian, was expected to extend the PLA Navy’s operational range far beyond China’s coastal waters, including into the Taiwan Straits, South China Sea, and Western Pacific.
“Military aircraft also often carry important classified weapons and avionics information from various countries, which may be reverse-analysed by enemy nations,” it warned.
The magazine, Shipborne Weapons Defence Review, associated with China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, highlighted factors like more open-sea operations heightening crash risks for assets such as the Liaoning aircraft carrier and J-15 fighter jets. In contrast, the US Navy employs advanced tools like the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter for such recoveries.
CCTV and the Yuyuan Tantian program in Beijing have covered related naval developments, but the magazine’s assessment focuses on the gap with the US Navy. It urges improvements in underwater capabilities to mitigate these vulnerabilities.