China's Latest Military Advancements

Introduction 

In the last few years, China has been on the forefront in challenging the military superiority that the United States has held in the world by working and advancing technologies that seek to boost its military authority. Marukawa (2013) indicates that increased investments by the Chinese government in military technology has played a central role in defining China's military position, as it has helped in ensuring that the country can establish itself as a leading player in military might. Historically, China has been known for its massive personnel presence, which has been significantly high when compared to other countries including the United States and Russia among others. On its part, the United States has been known for its notable advancements in military technology, which has played a central role in boosting its position as the leading military authority.

However, this is a position that has been threatened by China considering that China is engaging in serious research and development as part of ensuring that it understands and gains control over its military platforms. The critical element of focus is ensuring that China not only achieves some form of superiority but also builds itself as a contender to becoming a superpower in the world today. From that perspective, this report will seek to analyze some of the technological advancements associated with the Chinese military in a bid to evaluating its position as a leading contender towards becoming a superpower. Additionally, the report will also seek to analyze some of the future technologies that China is investing on, which may be of value towards highlighting the country’s position in the world based on its military capacity and authority.

History of China’s Military Positioning 

Historically, China has been seen as a severe country while taking note of its military positioning, as it has had one of the essential militaries in the world. When reviewing the history of China's military, one must take note of the fact that the military unit in the country has gone through several notable transformations. The transformations have been seen as crucial elements that sought to enhance and define the country's military authority in the world. In the 20 th century, specifically in 1927, China’s People Liberation Army was formed during which time China facing a crisis was associated with the start of the Chinese Civil War (Kim & Mah, 2009). The formation of this liberation army was seen as a critical decision that was aimed at reflecting on the country's military might, as it became the largest military unit in the world regarding personnel numbers.

The transformation of the People's Liberation Army towards becoming the Republic of China Army was also a key milestone, which sought to establish the overall authority that China held in the world. This particular army unit has been involved in a wide array of conflicts including the Northern Expedition, as well as, the Second Sino-Japanese War, which occurred during World War II. One of the key historical issues that the military unit in China faced revolved around the fact that it had not invested in military technologies, thus, making it challenging for the country to contend towards becoming a superpower in the world. However, this is a position that has since changed considering that the Chinese government been involved in a wide array of efforts to boost its military might and authority through advancements in military technologies.

Current Military Advancements in China 

A review of China's current position indicates that the country has invested heavily in a wide array of military technological advancements as it seeks to enhance or define its capacities as a critical player in the military industry. Some of the notable military improvements to evaluate, in the case of China include:

Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (DF-17) 

In November 2017, China carried out its first weapons test of a "hypersonic glide vehicle," which was otherwise named the DF-17, as a way of evaluating the efficiency of using such military technologies in boosting its military positioning in the world. The hypersonic glide vehicle developed by China is somewhat different when compared to the regular ballistic missile used in advanced countries such as the United States. China's innovative technology through this particular weapons system reflected on the fact that the state would boost its position regarding capacity to compete for military superiority over some of the leading countries such as China and Russia.

The difference arises from the fact that the hypersonic glide vehicle can glide back to earth at a slower and flatter trajectory. Thus, this means that it becomes somewhat challenging for missile defense systems to view its path thereby defining it as one of the essential technologies for China. Countries such as the United States and Russia have not been able to create such weapon systems, which, in turn, highlights the overall structure of authority that China is holding over these countries. The development of this weapon is seen as a critical element that seeks to ensure that China not only gains military recognition but also improves its capacity to contend towards becoming a superpower.

Familiar Fighter Jets 

The United States had held some form of monopoly focusing on the stealth fighter jet capacities, which sought to highlight its position as a leading authority or figure in the world touching on its military power and ability. However, the Chinese government made the announcement that its first homemade stealth jet dubbed Black Eagle, which was nicknamed Chengdu J-20, was ready to be used in combat service. The decision by the Chinese military leadership sought to highlight the fact that China was not only seeking recognition regarding its military positioning but also intended to challenge the monopoly held by the United States. Segal (2007) argues that the decisions by the Chinese government to invest heavily regarding its military positioning focuses on the idea of showing the world that it can achieve overall superiority.

The United States in collaboration with some of its Asia-Pacific allies had developed its stealth fighter jets with the intention of ensuring that it projected its capacity or ability to engage in extended range missile targeting. However, the homemade stealth jet, J-20, developed by China is more advanced when compared to that of the United States, as it can target a given target from a range of approximately 120 miles with precision. An overview of this particular weapon system indicates that it has the capacity of eliminating any destination around the world with precise accuracy. Ultimately, this seems to suggest that China's military position is expanding based on its significant investment in military technology with the sole intention of ensuring that it maintains some form of approving authority.

Shenyang J-31 Falcon 

As part of expanding on this particular military advancement, China is working on a second stealth fighter, the Shenyang J-31 Falcon, which seeks to create a significant shift regarding the military authority held by China in the world today. The Shenyang J-31 Falcon is a twin-engine fifth-generation jet fighter, which is under development in China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. One of the critical aspect to note is that the design of this particular fighter jet is somewhat more precious when compared to the previous model the Chengdu J-20, as the Chinese government seeks to ensure that it not only creates a compelling weapons system but also boosts the performance of the jet systems (Silva & Proença Júnior, 2014).

As part of its reaction to the development of this new military technology, the United States argues that the Shenyang J-31 Falcon is expected to change the dynamics of the military conflicts in the world. The change would arise from the fact that this will not only seek to boost its capacity as a critical player in the political matters of the world but would also highlight or project an overall shift in standards based on its military expectations. From the perspective of China, the Shenyang J-31 Falcon, although incorporates several features that are currently in use with the military structure of the world today, would be of value in changing the dynamics of having to engage in conflicts.

High-Tech Warships 

One of the potential flashpoints that seek to expose a severe possibility of conflict between China and the United States can be seen in the South China Sea. The region creates an interlocking web of territorial claims, which seeks to highlight the fact that China must be able to project its position in protecting its interests in the region. As part of ensuring that it can propel its overall position in the South China Sea, China has invested on the adopting an upgrade in its naval abilities. The upgrade focuses on the development of new aircraft carriers, the Type 055 and the Type 001A, both of which seek to ensure that China naval positioning can be seen in the event of any looming conflicts.

The Type 055 

Type 055 is a 2,000-ton stealth guided-missile destroyer with in-built technologies that seek to ensure that it projects the overall authority of China’s Navy. Some of the advanced techniques in this destroyer include anti-missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-submarine technologies that seek to ensure that it boosts its capacity to maintain some form of positive performance as a way of providing that it protects the interests of China (Segal, 2007). The Type 055 destroyer is expected to play a central role in aircraft-carrier battle formations considering that it is supposed to create some form of change regarding the structure of China's weapons systems. The ultimate impacts of this destroyer will be evaluated based on its engagement in conflicts that would pit China against some of its key rivals in the world considering that this would be of value towards determining its overall capacities to perform efficiently.

The Type 001A 

The launching of the Type 055 destroyer follows up on China’s commissioning of the Type 001A, which was China’s second aircraft carrier in its military history. The Type 001A is a 65,000-ton vessel with the capacity to host up to 35 aircraft within a given period, which is somewhat significant when compared to some of the other aircraft carriers in the world. The development of this particular aircraft carrier was seen as a significant milestone for the Chinese government in propelling its position from which to establish a positive front for positive outcomes regarding military technology. Additionally, the development and commissioning of this particular vessel sought to ensure that China reflects on its capacity towards becoming an essential authority from a military perspective. Based on the success that this particular vessel has had regarding reflecting on China's military position, China indicates that it is investing in the development of an 80,000-ton ship dubbed Type 002.

AG600 Kunlong 

Another critical technology to note in highlight China's military position is the development and commissioning of the AVIC AG600, which has been codenamed Kunlong, which is currently the largest aircraft in the world. The development of this particular aircraft by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) sought to provide China with a new structure of performance regarding amphibious planes considering that this is one of the new structure of military technology. When compared to other amphibious planes developed by other countries including the United States among others, it is evident that this particular aircraft remains as a critical determinant of the country's military capacity regarding aircraft technology used in military conflicts.

The AVIC AG600 has a performance capacity of 570 km/h (354 mph; 308 km), which is significantly high taking into account the size of the aircraft with a range of 5,500 km (3,418 mi; 2,970 nmi). China's investment in this particular aircraft reflects on the fact that the country must be able to build its capacity and position from which to propel or indicate on some form of a successful outcome when dealing with military conflicts. On the other hand, the AVIC AG600 has been retrofitted with more advanced technologies that allow it to have a service ceiling of 10,500 m (34,400 ft) at a maximum takeoff weight of 53,500 kg (117,947 lb). From that perspective, it becomes valuable in determining China's military future considering that it has created some form of structure approach from which to discover intended capacities. Ultimately, this is seen as one of the critical elements that would be of value in determining the performance structure of China’s military.

Submarines 

China has also invested heavily in underwater technologies used by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy with the techniques playing a central role in ensuring that China maintains its authority as a leading military figure in the world today. Over the years, the Chinese government has invested heavily in the development of a wide array of submarines that it seeks to use as part of its conflicts arguing that this would be of value towards ensuring that China remains relevant in the world. Investment in submarine technology has also helped in boosting a better platform from which China can propel its capacity to engage in underwater military efforts to avert the possibility of a conflict.

One particular type of submarine that China has developed is the Type 039A submarine, which has maximum depth capacity of 400 meter, which is significant when compared to some of the other bombers used in other countries. Additionally, this submarine has a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and is retrofitted with 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, as well as, anti-ship missiles (Horowitz, 2014). China also uses the Type 091 submarine, which is a lesser advanced submarine developed in the 1990s as part of ensuring that it not only helps in protecting its waters but also reflects on the idea of defining its naval capacities. The long-term effect that submarines have had on China's military positioning is that they have helped in creating some form of recognition. Thus, this has been of value towards ensuring that China achieves some of its set out goals and objectives focusing on military expectations.

Future Military Technologies in China 

Based on the current and historical technological advancements in military, China has capitalized on investing in advanced technologies that may help in increasing the military capacity in a bid to making China a superpower. China has been at the forefront in contesting with the United States, which is considered a superpower based on the nature of technologies used by the military to protect its territories. The implementation of the given technologies by China results from the global trends associated with national and international securities that call for the military to increase their capacities in a bid to offer adequate and world-class protection. The Chinese government has focused on investing in the military innovations through the provision of appropriate platform and funding to allow for effectiveness in the implementation of the technologies. The following are some of the future technologies that are bound to be implemented by the Chinese military in a bid to strengthen its security against attacks and become a superpower nation.

Super Satellites 

The super satellite technology is one of the most advanced technologies that capitalize on enhancing both national and international communication in a bid to protect a given population against any form of attacks. The super satellites provide an avenue where it is possible to identify any attack or a natural disaster that is bound to occur at a given region, which is a critical factor that may help in safeguarding the resources of a country. The Chinese government has capitalized on making the necessary investments to put up the structures that may help in supporting the new technological advancement. The military improvement will focus on detecting any form of threat in and offer countermeasures against the danger thus protecting and enhancing the security measures in the region. According to Voelz (2016), the technology will test a new electric-propulsion system that can ionize approximately 150kg of xenon to raise its orbit, which is a critical aspect in maintaining the geosynchronous altitude.

The complexity of the technology places China in a higher position as a superpower nation considering that the military technology has not been implemented in other parts of the world. The Chinese government has engaged the China Satellite Communications Co. to undertake the appropriate measures that are necessary for laying out the infrastructure for the expected future technological advancements. According to Matt (2018), the super satellites will provide the military with extra performance ability to help in early detection of any form of threat or attack that is bound to happen within a given region in the country. The application of this technology in the military will ensure that the state experiences a high level of protection against threats that result in various forms of destructions in the nation. Being the first country to implement the new military technology, the Chinese government poses a significant threat to the United States considering it is a superpower that performs the modern military techniques.

Electromagnetic Railgun 

The electromagnetic railgun technology is an advanced military technology that focuses on enhancing swiftness in the operations undertaken by the military in protecting a given population during war attacks. This military technology increases the capacity of the army to safeguard boundaries against assaults from the super-powered countries that use lethal weapons to launch attacks that lead to war between nations. According to Bowie (2017), electromagnetic railgun can launch an attack as far as 115miles away without the need to use explosives. Traditionally, countries engaging in war capitalized on enhancing types of machinery that helped in starting explosives to their opponents in a bid to overpower them. However, this faces a significant challenge relating to the distances that can be covered by the given explosives. Considering that the electromagnetic railgun uses powerful electromagnets to fire the projectiles, it is possible to launch an attack to aircraft, ships, and other land targets accurately.

The Chinese government has undertaken various tests regarding the implementation of the technology on multiple platforms in a bid to test the viability of the technology in promoting the level of security within a given region. The military has deployed successful tests of the technology thus wait for the full establishment of the necessary infrastructure that will allow it to incorporate the technology in its operations. The implementation of this technology in the Chinese military will make China a powerful country and bypass the United States, which is considered to have the most advanced resources and infrastructure to promote advanced technologies. The technology will provide China with the ability to attack with ammunition that can travel very fast compared to the normal speed of the conventional guns thus enabling the military to engage in any form of war efficiently.

Laser Weapons 

The use weapons in any given military is a crucial aspect considering that it focuses on countering and launching attacks to elements that pose threats in a given region. In this case, it is necessary to capitalize on enhancing the nature of weapons used in a bid to strengthen the effectiveness of the military operations in protecting boundaries in any given region. Laser weapons are a modern technological advancement that entails the use of energy directed weapons to undertake various forms of attacks. The Laser Weapon involves a ship-defense system that implements the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones to launch attacks. This military technology helps in destroying the target with infrared beans that hail from a solid-state laser. The technological advancement plays a significant role in enhancing the accuracy of the goal, which is a critical factor that helps the military in engaging in war efficiently.

Based on the technological advantages provided through the use of Laser weapons, the Chinese government focused on planning for the implementation of the technology in a bid to heighten the security measures. China is one the countries that have focused on laying the necessary plans to allow the execution the military technology thus creating a significant threat to the United States, which is known for implementing techniques that assist the military in offering maximum protection (Bowie, 2017). Although the implementation of laser weapons system requires a significant capital investment, the Chinese government has laid the necessary financial investments that may help in enhancing the success of the project within a few years. The move will place the Chinese military at a higher level than the United States considering that it will be more powerful to engage in any form of war activity.

Wing Loong Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) 

China's military has also achieved a significant platform for performance regarding usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), otherwise described as drones. Utilization of these technologies has been of value towards ensuring that China maintains a high level of control over its airspace. Additionally, this has also been of importance in providing that the Chinese military can engage targets at long range without having to maintain any form of physical contact with the goals. From that perspective, evaluating the development of Wing Loong II, which is expected to be an advanced version of the Wing Loong 1 UAV. The growth of Wing Loong II reflects on the need for China to invest in the category of MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) considering that it has become increasingly important for China to engage foreign targets regularly (Baculinao, 2017).

The features of the Wing Loong II are expected to be of higher value when compared to the drones used in the United States and Russia, as it has a maximum takeoff weight of 4,200 kg. That means that this particular drone has a better capacity from which to carry a higher number of payloads, thus, meaning that it would be in a better position from which to enhance its ability to achieve expected military success. On the other hand, Wing Loong II has a maximum service ceiling of 9,900 meters, which is notable high when compared to some of the drones used in the current military structure (Baculinao, 2017). That means that usage of the Wing Loong II will be of much better value for China considering that this would help towards ensuring that it propels its position towards becoming a key player in matters of military capacity in enhancing its ability for overall performance.

Artificial Intelligence 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is viewed as one of the critical elements or aspects associated with the Chinese military positioning that are expected to boost its future abilities to perform at a much higher level. China is working on a practical plan from which to upgrade the country's nuclear submarines with the intention of incorporating the use of artificial intelligence (Gertz, 2017). The incorporation of this technological element is expected to create that positive outcome from where China would be able to establish itself regarding overall capacities for performance. The long-term expectation from China is that incorporation of artificial intelligence will not only help towards boosting performance but would also work towards ensuring that China maintains some form of control over its weapons technology.

China expects to invest significantly with the intention of creating a $150-billion AI industry by 2030, which is likely to go beyond the set-out expectations regarding weapons technology. Usage of artificial intelligence is expected to boost the performance of Chinese personnel during a conflict considering that this particular technology is likely to help in the evaluation of every element of production touching on the performance of China's military. Additionally, artificial intelligence is also expected to create a better front from which China would be able to protect itself from cyber and electronic warfare considering that this is one of the critical types of combat facing the world today. China's ability to use artificial intelligence will help towards ensuring that the country reflects on its retrospective position from which to boost performance.

Conclusion 

Based on the overview of the military technologies adopted in China, as well as, some of the future technologies that China expects to adopt, it is clear that China is a serious contender to bypass the United States in becoming a superpower. The techniques seek to suggest that China will not only focus its attention on circumventing the United States but will attempt to position itself at the helm of the world regarding military capacities. It is clear that the Chinese government understands the value associated with investment in military capabilities taking into account the fact that it is investing significantly in military technologies. Most of these technologies will help boost its capacity and ability to compete on the same front as the United States from where it might have an opportunity of becoming a superpower over the United States.

References

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