China’s New Aircraft Carrier

Why in news?

China acquiring its second aircraft carrier to counter India’s defence.

What is the status of Chinese aircraft carrier?

• China launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier on April 2017, which may be named Shandong started in 2013 and it is likely to be commissioned in 2020.
• The two Chinese carriers are conventionally powered, not nuclear, which means they cannot be put on extended deployment.
• They lack the logistics capability to operate far away from Chinese shores.

What will be the plan of China after the deployment?

• China will not send both its carriers on permanent deployment in the Indian Ocean, its interest’s lies in the East and in the South China Sea.
• China will maintain both its carriers there although it will make symbolic port visits in the Indian Ocean region especially to Gwadar in Pakistan.
• China plans a four- to six-carrier navy which will give it the capability to permanently deploy in the Indian Ocean. But that will take a couple of decades.
• To break India’s dominance in the Indian Ocean, China has invested in a number of port projects in India’s neighbourhood, referred to as ‘string of pearls’.
• China has to contend with India’s two unsinkable aircraft carriers in Indian Ocean and also with other naval powers of US, Japan, etc.,

What is the status of Indian aircraft carriers?

• The INS Vikramaditya is fully operational, and India also has decades of experience in operating aircraft carriers, it has used them in warfare.
• India launched its first indigenous carrier, Vikrant, in 2013 and it is likely to be commissioned in the early 2020s.
• By 2030 India will have three aircraft carriers in service.

What is India’s strategy?

• India has the geographical advantage, with over 40 warships under construction; it will have nearly 200 warships by 2025.
• India has multinational cooperation in the maritime domain primarily with the US and Japan.
• All major Indian warships are being equipped with Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missiles along with the supersonic Brahmos anti-ship cruise missiles.
• China’s expected naval base in Gwadar in Pakistan is within the range of India’s land-based fighters and missiles.
• India is going to acquire nuclear and diesel-electric attack submarines.
• India should beef up its air defence and land-based anti-ship missiles in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as peninsular India.

 Source: Live mint