RIMPAC gets underway as satellite imagery shows Chinese target practice
RIMPAC gets underway as satellite imagery shows Chinese target practice
2024-06-28
The world’s largest naval drills are underway. The 29th Rim of the Pacific exercise, or RIMPAC, kicked off Wednesday and will continue till August, involving 29 nations and more than 25,000 personnel. The U.S. and its allies plan to sink a massive amphibious assault ship, which will reportedly simulate a Chinese vessel. Meanwhile, satellite images show that Chinese pilots are practicing air strikes on mock-ups of U.S. fighter jets.
The 29th Rim of the Pacific exercise is underway. This year’s capstone event is the sinking of a 40,000-ton warship using live ammunition. According to defense analysts, the ship is meant to simulate a vessel in China’s expanding amphibious assault fleet. Ahead of the sensitive drill, China has made a move of its own.
According to satellite images obtained by Business Insider, China has built mock versions of fifth-generation U.S. aircraft out in a Xinjiang desert. The images show apparent blast marks in the desert, suggesting that China is using the area for target practice.
Lin Ying-yu
Tamkang University professor
The U.S. plans to use RIMPAC to showcase its military collaborations with its allies. Given that, China is also releasing some images at this juncture. So to be honest, whether the ship is sunk or whether the mockups get destroyed – none of that’s important. What’s more important is that China is sending a message at this particular time. China wants to balance out the media coverage that RIMPAC is receiving. China is prioritizing information warfare and cognitive warfare.
China has previously built full-sized versions of U.S. military assets in its deserts. Satellite images from 2021 show that it built a full-scale version of a U.S. carrier and at least two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. It’s also built mockups of Japanese early warning aircraft and what appears to be Taiwan’s Su’ao Port. But despite China’s frequent target practice, experts say China still doesn’t have the combat capabilities to carry out its ambitions.
Lin Ying-yu
Tamkang University professor
A real U.S. carrier strike group has countermeasures like electronic warfare equipment. It might be mobile, it might have an escort fleet, and it might even have firepower alongside it, or it might have the Aegis combat system for defense. These factors are difficult to simulate out in a desert or on a shooting range. Although the CCP’s military capabilities are increasing, we also know that the U.S. and other nations, as well as Taiwan itself – we are also expanding our military capabilities.
China’s military expansion has put the democratic coalition on edge, strengthening its partnerships. As RIMPAC gets underway, the alliance against China is only set to strengthen.
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別苗頭? 環太軍演登場之際 中國摧毀"福特號標靶"
2024-06-28
今年環太軍演正是登場，重頭戲就是擊沉一艘標靶艦艇，就在此時，衛星照片拍到中國新疆沙漠中的美國航母福特號模型被摧毀，軍事學者分析，中國在沙漠中進行攻擊訓練是例行事務，不過，摧毀福特號顯然有大打輿論戰，與環太軍演抗衡的用意。
環太平洋軍演登場，今年重點項目"擊沉"，要以實彈擊沉一艘排水量四萬噸的標靶艦艇，正當外界分析是衝著中國可能武力攻台預作準備，中國也有大動作。
美國網路媒體商業內幕引用最新衛星圖片，報導中國沙漠出現美國第五代戰鬥機模型、以及有爆炸痕跡和彈坑的跑道。
[[淡大國際事務與戰略所助理教授 林穎佑]]
“(環太軍演) 美國會拿來宣傳，近期他跟盟邦合作戰力的結果，就這樣的角度來看的話，中國這裡也會釋放一些畫面，所以說今天這艘船有沒有被擊沉，或者這個模型的攻擊狀況會如何，老實說並沒有那麼重要，而是今天中共在這個時機點放出這個訊息，會代表的是希望，平衡外界對於美國環太軍演的報導，其實中共現在更會強調的是輿論戰或認知戰”
其實中國近年來在內陸沙漠設置多個全尺寸的美軍航母標靶。2021年，衛星影像空照圖就發現形狀和福特號相同的標靶，還有至少2艘和勃克級驅逐艦相似的標靶。日本預警機的模擬物也出現過。還有疑似台灣蘇澳軍港的假港口。儘管中國頻頻進行攻擊訓練，但軍事專家認為，和實際戰力仍有落差。
[[淡大國際事務與戰略所助理教授 林穎佑]]
“今天如果是一個實際的美國航艦戰鬥群的話，它可能會有反制的電子裝備，它可能會移動，它可能有護航的艦隊，甚至它還會有護航的火力，或者它有神盾系統去做反制，這些的話都是沙漠裡面或者在靶場，比較難以去模擬到的部分，中共近期軍力有在上升，但是其實我們也可以知道，美國或其他國家或我們中華民國，也都不是吃素的，我們也都有實際軍力上的成長”
中國持續增強軍力，更讓國際提高警覺、增強結盟合作，隨著環太軍演登場，抗中氛圍持續增強。
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