China to Dominate the Oceans with Its Float Artificial islands

Modules of China’s planned super large float artificial island

Airport module for the float artificial island

Wave power plant module for the float artificial island

Wind farme module for the float artificial island

Float nuclear power plant for the float artificial island

Large engineering ship for the float artificial island

Chinanews.com says in its article “US military planned to build float artificial islands: one island plus two aircraft carriers has the combat capabilities of 5 aircraft carriers” that as far back as in the 1990s, US military planned to build float artificial islands and believed that one float artificial island plus two aircraft carriers has the combat capabilities of five aircraft carriers.

According to US military’s calculation, a 1,500 x 1,500 meters float artificial island costs US$5 to 10 billions, less than a nuclear aircraft carrier.

With 300 to 400 warplanes on an artificial island and most importantly the AEW&C aircrafts based on the island, China needs only two conventional aircraft carriers for the island to control a vast area of ocean with a radius of at least 2,500 km (J-20’s range of 2,000+ km plus J-15’s 500 km). If China uses J-11B as carrier-based fighter jets with range exceeding 1,000 km, the area a float artificial island controls will be even larger.

Moreover, China’s conventional submarines based at the island can play the role of nuclear ones to help the island and aircraft carriers control the vast area of ocean.

According to such calculation, two battle groups of one float artificial island each deployed with two conventional aircraft carrier battle fleets and one dozen conventional submarines can control the Pacific Ocean with the first one stationed 4,000 km away from China as China’s land based air force and conventional submarines can control the ocean 2,000 km away from it.

The second one 9,000 km away from China can send strategic bombers or nuclear submarines to attack US homeland with long-range cruise missiles from the Pacific Ocean.

Obviously, that is an affordable way for China to have the capabilities to not only defend its trade lifelines but also conduct conventional second strike to prevent the US from attacking Chinese homeland with conventional weapons.

China also needs two such battle groups to control the Indian Oceans but not so urgently as China will build sufficient land connections to the Middle East, Europe and Asia through its Silk Road economic belt and 21st century maritime Silk Road initiative.

In my post “Photos of Modules of Artificial Island China Plans to Build in Oceans” on July 28, 2015, I described and posted the above pictures of China’s design of float artificial island based on war.163.com’s report titled “Exhibition of achievements in defense science, technology and industries: Bare the secrets of China’s confidential science and technology for the future”. I said in the post:

Such an island will be built by connecting pre-fabricated modules. Its major platform will be 2,400 meters by 3,200 meters to contain a dock, floating shipyard, parking aprons and runway and a huge wind power plant to ensure its power supply.

In peace time, the island is to be used for ship maintenance, fishery, fish farming, tourism, etc. and generates much cash income to cover the costs for the maintenance and operation of the island.

As the island is large enough for deployment of lots of advanced aircrafts, missiles and artillery, most advanced radar, etc. in war time, it is able to defeat a dozen of aircraft carrier battle groups.

I mentioned above that US military believe one float artificial island plus two carriers equals five carriers, but the island planned by the US is small only 1,500 km x 1,500 km. China’s is much larger and may be as powerful as a dozen aircraft carrier battle groups.

Source: war.163.com “Exhibition of achievements in defense science, technology and industries: Bare the secrets of China’s confidential science and technology for the future” and chinanews.com “US military planned to build float artificial islands: one island plus two aircraft carriers has the combat capabilities of 5 aircraft carriers” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the report in Chinese)

---