June-July 2013 Volume 8 No. 3 `100.00 (India-Based Buyer Only) www.spsnavalforces.net ROUNDUP THE ONLY NAVAL MAGAZINE FOR NAVIES ACROSS ASIA-PACIFIC PAGE 4 ASIA-PACIFIC: CHINA’s Defence White PAPER Hovering Danger - Guided Weapons of Naval Helicopters Countering MARTE MK2S on NH-90 New Security Threats The transition from the naval helicopter to PHOTOGRAPH: US Navy the smaller and lighter unmanned naval helicopter appears to be certainty (at least partially), which would ensure availability of these unmanned craft on much larger number of smaller ships. Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr S. Kulshrestha PAGE 6 Oil & Petrodollars Arming the Middle East Oil is sold in the US dollars; surplus dollars are recycled into these countries or paid for purchasing of military hardware. In return the absolute monarchies are protected by the Western countries. The Arab Spring has had no effect on the arms sale. Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand PAGE 10 Indian Naval Aviation Turns 60 Over the years, the naval air arm has grown from a modest force to a small air force and has in its inventory approximately 220 aircraft, 1,300 officers and 9,000 men. Rear Admiral (Retd) Sushil Ramsay Sailors aboard the Chinese Navy destroyer PAGE 11 Qingdao (DDG 113) man the rails as they depart Pearl Harbor Nuclear-powered HMS Ambush Submarine Commissioned Built by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness, China is a major maritime country. The seas and oceans provide immense space the Astute class vessels represent a highly and abundant resources for China’s sustainable development, and thus are of vital complex feat of naval engineering importance to the people’s well-being and China’s future. It is thus essential to exploit, SP’s Correspondent utilise and protect the seas and oceans, and build China into a maritime power. PLUS SP’s Exclusive n LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND major powers’. It further warns that it increasing inclination by nations to Technology Perspective and faces multiple and complicated security acquire better weapons. The Asia-Pacific Capability Roadmap 2013 12 challenges. It also implies that as the US region is becoming an increasingly sig- HINA HAS RECENTLY ISSUED is reinventing its Asia-Pacific strategy, nificant area for world economic develop- Indian Navy and Coast Guard’s the eighth white paper on the region is undergoing serious changes. ment and strategic interaction between 15-year Warfare Capability 12 national defence which gives That means that China also has to devel- major powers. out the new security challenges op its responses accordingly to look after China’s geostrategic interests: On the News in Brief / Regional 14 it faces and how it plans to its economic and security interests. issues concerning China’s territorial sover- Cdevelop, employ and deploy its armed eignty and maritime rights and interests, News in Brief / India 15 forces to counter the threats. Under- Analysis of the Security Threat by the some neighbouring countries’ adverse standing the thrust of the white paper is White Paper actions are complicating or exacerbating important as it has been published after There are signs of increasing hegemonism, the situation. For example, Japan is caus- the change of guard at Beijing. The paper power politics and neo-interventionism. ing trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu gives out the shift to the Asia-Pacific Local conflicts and hot-spot issues keep Islands. The threats posed by three forces, region for economic development and cropping up frequently. Traditional and namely, terrorism, separatism and extrem- politely terms the likely conflicts in this non-traditional security challenges are ism, are on the rise. The “Taiwan indepen- APPLIED FOR region as ‘strategic interaction between deeply interrelated and there is an ever dence movement” separatist forces and 3/2013 1 ASIA-PACIFIC: CHINA’s Defence White PAPER 2013 saw the release of the much awaited thus appropriate that an overview on the ing piece on the diamond jubilee of the China’s strategic policy ‘White Paper’ which white paper with brief comments becomes Indian Naval Aviation, commissioning of assumed greater significance as it gives out the lead story of this issue. the nuclear-powered fleet submarine HMS the strategic vision of the new leadership. Middle East has always been in the Ambush of the Royal Navy, apart from the This is the eighth White Paper on national news for oil and also the Arab Spring which regular news digest. defence and covers China’s fresh security is actually turning out to be the ‘Spring of Dis- Happy reading dear readers! challenges and how it plans to develop, content’. The US and other western govern- employ and deploy its armed forces to ments have followed policies which ensure counter the threats. The paper gives out the that they have access to Middle East oil, shift to the Asia-Pacific region for economic suppressing regional powers to challenge development and politely terms the likely and prevent the proliferation of weapons of conflicts in this region as ‘strategic interac- mass destruction. Most oil sales throughout tion between major powers’. There is no the world are carried out in the US dollars EDITORIAL specific reference to China’s policy of “no and the US guards this policy very strongly first use” of nuclear weapons although that which has resulted in a mix of ‘oil and US is China’s professed nuclear policy. Another dollars’ policy, seeped deep in the deserts important omission is of any reference to the of the region. Thus an article on the subject Communist Party which actually controls makes for interesting reading. the People’s Liberation Army unlike other Naval helicopter based weapons are countries where the state controls its armed becoming more and more lethal; and hence JAYANT BARANWAL forces. China has also given out for the first an article on the subject has been included time the structure of its military units. It is in this issue. Then there is an interest- Publisher & Editor-in-Chief their activities are still the biggest threat to shipping protection and disaster relief coastal defence units, guard and garrison the peaceful development of cross-straits China: operations. units. In line with the strategic require- relations. Factors affecting social harmony zz Conduct joint exercises and training ments of mobile operations and multi- and stability are growing in number, and Geographical Facts with other nations. dimensional offense and defence, the PLAA the security risks to China’s overseas inter- zz China has borderline of more than China’s armed forces are composed of has been reoriented from theatre defence ests are on the increase. 22,000 km and a coastline of more the People’s Liberation Army, the People’s to trans-theatre mobility. It is accelerating On future wars: There are rapid than 18,000 km. Armed Police Force and the militia. Over the development of Army Aviation troops, changes being affected in future warfare zz China is one of the countries with the years, the PLA has been proactively light mechanised units and Special Opera- including mechanisation and informa- too many neighbours and the lon- and steadily pushing forward its reforms tions forces, and enhancing building of tionisation (probably implies information gest land borders. in line with the requirements of perform- digitalised units, gradually making its units warfare including network-centric opera- zz Among all China’s islands, more than ing its missions and tasks, and building an small, modular and multi-functional in tions). Major powers like the US and its 6,500 are larger than 500 square information age military force. Some of the organisation so as to enhance their capabil- allies are vigorously developing new and metres each. China’s island coastline measures taken are: ities for air-ground integrated operations, more sophisticated military technologies is over 14,000 km long. zz The PLA has focused on reinforcing the long-distance manoeuvres, rapid assaults so as to ensure that they maintain their strategic administration of the Central and special operations. The PLAA mobile strategic superiorities in international Military Commission (CMC) by estab- operational units include combined corps, competition in such areas as outer space its security and development interests”. lishing the PLA Department of Strategic plus additional independent combined and cyber space. zz Role: A senior officer from the People’s Planning, reorganised the GSH (Head- operational divisions (brigades), and have Main security concerns: The main Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff quarters of the General Staff) Commu- a total strength of 8,50,000. security concerns that China perceives are Headquarters elaborated in a press con- nications Department as the GSH Infor- Operational mobile units: They as follows: ference that the basic role of the armed mationisation Department, and the include combined corps plus additional zz Some country (probably meaning US) has forces is to fight wars in the informa- GSH Training and Arms Department as independent combined operational divi- strengthened its Asia-Pacific military alli- tion age and its peacetime mission is to the GSH Training Department. sions (brigades). ances/relations and increased its military prepare for wars. He added that “Chi- zz The PLA is modernising its combat Combined corps: There are 18 com- presence in the region which periodically nese armed forces focus on protecting forces by optimising their size and bined corps which is composed of divisions adds to the tension in the region. The the country’s sovereignty and security structure of the various services and and brigades similar to corps elsewhere in alliances are with countries like Japan, when it highlights capacity building arms. Reorganise the troops so as to other global armies. They are mobile which South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, under the principle of being able to make operational forces lean, joint, means that they can move and deploy very Singapore, etc and on the periphery are fight a war and win a war”.