Pentagon report: China closer to matching modern militaries

From: Washington Times

China's military buildup has made impressive gains that pushed the Communist Party-controlled People’s Liberation Army closer to matching modern militaries, according to the Pentagon’s annual report to Congress made public Wednesday.

“Militarily, China’s sustained modernization program is paying visible dividends,” the report said. “During 2010, China made strides toward fielding an operational anti-ship ballistic missile, continued work on its aircraft carrier program, and finalized the prototype of its first stealth aircraft.”

While the report cautioned that the Chinese military continues to have gaps in key military capabilities and has large amounts of outdated hardware and a lack of operational experience, it concluded that the People’s Liberation Army “is steadily closing the technological gap with modern armed forces.”

By the end of this decade, China will be able to project military power and sustain a modest-sized force of naval and ground forces for smaller conflicts “far from China,” an assessment not included in earlier Pentagon reports.

China recently began sea-trials of a refurbished Soviet-era aircraft carrier and is developing a unique anti-ship ballistic missile to target ships at sea, the report said.

The report appeared to back away from statements made by Adm. Robert Willard, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, who said earlier this year, based on the anti-ship ballistic missile’s extensive testing, had basically been deployed. The Pentagon report said China was “developing” the new missile, echoing a statement made in January by a senior Chinese general.

China also is continuing aggressive cyberintelligence gathering and targeted numerous computer systems around the world, the report said, noting the intrusions “appear to have originated within the PRC.”

“These intrusions were focused on exfiltrating information,” the report said, noting that the same skills can be used for “computer network attacks” in warfare.

China’s cyberwarfare capabilities likely would serve future military operations by gathering intelligence, constraining enemy action or slowing their response, and bolstering conventional attacks during crisis or conflict. Chinese military writings state that China plans to use its cyberwarfare weapons to achieve information superiority and to counter a stronger foe.

China's military is continuing to use deception about its military but it is becoming tougher to hide its new weapons systems.

“Many of China’s new military capabilities are difficult or impossible to hide,” the report said. “Examples of such capabilities include advanced aircraft, long range missiles, and modern naval assets.”

For future space warfare, while China increased its number of satellites in 2010, space weapons and related missiles require testing and exercises before being deployed. “The PLA’s growing inventory of these new assets and the ranges at which they operate effectively prevents their concealment,” the report said.

The report said China’s claims to large areas of the South China Sea are increasing tensions and highlighted China’s growing forces to attack ships or space systems, forces the Pentagon calls “anti-access” and “area denial weapons.”

Such weapons include the new DF-21D anti-ship missile, attack submarines, advanced warships, and naval-strike aircraft.

“China is fielding an array of conventionally armed ballistic missiles, modern aircraft, [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles], ground- and air-launched land-attack cruise missiles, special operations forces, and cyberwarfare capabilities to hold targets at risk throughout the region,” the report said.