Global Times – Since its start at the beginning of the year, the construction of a new shipyard for a key Chinese warship builder has been going smoothly, and dock basin construction kicked off on Wednesday.

Nikkei Asia – China is reportedly looking to build a military presence in Equatorial Guinea, which would be its second such facility in Africa and the first along the Atlantic Ocean. But China’s options are not limited to the small country, analysts say.

China Maritime Studies Institute – This report examines the potential roles and missions of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) new rotary wing capabilities in a cross-strait invasion. Looking specifically at the helicopter units of the PLA Army (PLAA), it discusses two possible scenarios in which these forces could serve as the main thrust in a campaign to seize control of Taiwan. In the first scenario, the PLAA would use nearly all of its rotary wing inventory simultaneously to overwhelm Taiwan’s defenses and quickly convince the country’s political leadership to surrender. In a second “unconventional” scenario, the PLAA would risk the destruction of older helicopters in order to launch a sudden attack against the island, thereby achieving the element of surprise while saving its most capable platforms for lengthy follow-on operations to fully subdue the island. Based on analysis of the scale, complexity, and frequency of recent PLAA exercises, this report argues that China is at best a decade away from having the ability to seize Taiwan by either approach.

Global Times – China recently revealed an upgraded version of the J-15 ship-borne fighter jet that has just wrapped up test flights, with reports saying the new aircraft received enhancements in its missile pylons, the infrared search and track system, the radar and the wings.

USNI News – Illegal and unreported fishing “is happening on an industrial scale” around the globe and the culprit often is China’s subsidized fishing fleet, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said today.

Barents Observer – The design of the icebreaker is to be completed in 2025 and used for rescues alongside China’s “Polar Silk Road” trade route, as a part of the country’s grander Belt and Road Initiative.

1945 – James Holmes looks to Theodore Roosevelt for inspiration.

Naval News – China’s growing fleet of survey ships continue to cause friction in the Pacific region. One of the most modern and capable has been operating in the small country of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This emphasizes the strategic importance of the small island chains in the region.

news.com.au – China is feared to be hiding missiles in shipping containers as part of a Trojan Horse-style plan to launch an attack anywhere in world, experts warn.

The Hill – China is looking to create its first permanent military presence on the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of the small African nation Equatorial Guinea.

USNI News – Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels launched water cannons onto two Filipino boats during a resupply mission, a move that prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest against China, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Thursday.

Naval News – Amidst the hype about hypersonics, behind the hysteria and sensational headlines, is a new type of weapon which could help reshape the naval arena. Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs) pose an unpredictable threat to aircraft carriers and other high-value targets.

StrategyPage – A Chinese naval officer recently gave an interview in which he described how the navy was testing the effect of underwater explosives set off in ports. 

War Zone – China looks to have launched an odd mini-aircraft carrier of sorts that is intended to launch and recover small aerial drones earlier this year. A model of this catamaran vessel appeared at this year’s Zhuhai Airshow, where it was ostensibly described as a platform for mimicking enemy “electronic” systems during training exercises. This ship will be able to simulate hostile drone swarms, along with other kinds of threats, such as high-volume anti-ship missile strikes and distributed electronic warfare attacks. It also reflects the Chinese military’s interest in operational swarming capabilities, and especially in the maritime domain.

CSIS – Steady progress on the construction of China’s third aircraft carrier has continued throughout 2021, and the vessel—commonly known as the Type 003—may launch in the coming months. Commercial satellite imagery of Jiangnan Shipyard captured on October 23, 2021, reveals that the installation of the carrier’s main external components is nearing completion. Work on other military vessels at Jiangnan appears to have slowed as the shipyard works to fill commercial orders.

1945 – Richard Holmes comments on the Pentagon’s latest report on Chinese military power. 

USNI News – The Chinese military has built targets in the shape of an American aircraft carrier and other U.S. warships in the Taklamakan desert as part of a new target range complex.

War Zone – The ability to launch their ballistic missiles from the South China Sea or Bohai Sea would be a huge capability increase for China’s SSBN force.

Office of the Secretary of Defense – Annual Report to Congress.

The Aviationist – We interviewed Chinese military aviation expert Andreas Rupprecht to learn more about the progress of the PLAN Naval Aviation.

Chinese Maritime Studies Institute – The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has long provided indications it will use civilian shipping in direct support of a cross-strait invasion of Taiwan. To date, however, there has been little effort to gauge the PLA’s actual ability to leverage China’s commercial fleet in the most challenging part of any such campaign—operations over-the-shore. Drawing from ship tracking data, satellite imagery, media reporting, and the writings of PLA experts, this report analyzes recent military-civil fusion exercises and training to assess current capabilities.

1945 – James Holmes writes that history has proved, time and again, that CCP commitments to lofty principles are perishable. The leadership honors them as long as it needs them, and discards them when it doesn’t.

Defense News – A semi-permanent marriage between Russia’s military design genius and China’s industrial production acumen on large projects may be the most concerning legacy of the AUKUS deal.

The Aviationist – China has flown the carrier variant of its FC-31 stealth fighter, possibly dubbed J-35 (and bearing some resemblance to the F-35C).

War Zone – The Haixun 09, which displaces more than 10,000 tons, is remarkably ornate for a patrol ship and has some puzzling features.