Latest news with #HISutton
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Science
- Gulf Insider
China's Mysterious "Bohai Sea Monster" Spotted For First Time
China's mysterious 'Bohai Sea Monster' wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft has been seen in full for the first time, according to a report. The Ekranoplan, which is a special ultra-low flying aircraft made up of features from ships, airplanes, and hovercraft, was first spotted in the northwest area of the Yellow Sea, by submarine warfare expert HI Sutton. These craft are designed to fly below the radar horizon, while being much faster than ships. Naval News reports: The aircraft features a flying boat hull with a distinctive T-tail arrangement with two vertical stabilizers. This configuration is not found on regular aircraft but has been used on several Ekranoplans including some in China. It appears to have a comparatively short wingspan and large tail, typical of jet engines are mounted above the wing. These have slightly flattened nozzles suggesting downward angled thrust. This two is indicative of an Ekranoplan design. Soviet-designed ekranoplans, massive ground-effect vehicles, are built for rapid troop and armored vehicle deployment in amphibious assaults, a role typically filled by hovercraft in China's Navy (PLAN). This new model could signal an aggressive push for beach-storming transport capabilities, according to Naval News. China isn't the only superpower with an ekranoplan. The U.S. is forging ahead with the Liberty Lifer, a cutting-edge ekranoplan aimed at hauling heavy cargo, troops, and gear across the vast Pacific. This beast could slash the Pentagon's logistical nightmares. The appearance of the WIG is the latest sign of China's growing sea power. In April, satellite images exposed alarming activity at China's secretive Qingdao First Submarine Base, the nerve center for its nuclear-powered submarine fleet. Naval expert Alex Luck revealed that Google Earth's latest update had shown six Chinese submarines docked at a pier, with another in drydock. Five of these underwater war machines are armed with conventional weapons, signaling Beijing's aggressive naval buildup on its eastern coast. A recent Pentagon report warned that China's submarine fleet is set to surge from 60 to 65 by the end of 2025, with projections of a menacing 80 subs within a decade. As Beijing ramps up its military muscle, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Dan Caine, has raised red flags about the U.S.'s readiness. 'The U.S. does not have the throughput, responsiveness, or agility needed to deter our adversaries,' Gen. Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee, sounding a dire alarm about the growing Chinese threat.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China's Mysterious Ekranoplan Seen In Full For First Time
We are getting our first full look at China's wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft. It was first identified last week by our friend and submarine warfare analyst HI Sutton. You can read his initial post at Naval News here. It was originally spotted in an image with its nose section obscured. In that image, the flying-boat-hulled aircraft was pictured sitting on a pier situated on the Bohai Sea, which sits at the northwestern reach of the South China Sea. As we have discussed many times before, the Soviet Union was famed for its experimentation and semi-operational use of large WIG craft known as Ekranoplans. The capability and tactical concepts surrounding it never really caught on en-masse, but we are currently experiencing a renaissance of sorts for large WIG aircraft that aim to race above the thick air above the water with relative efficiency and speed (most can fly less efficiently at higher altitudes too). The U.S. is developing just such an aircraft, the Liberty Lifer, in hopes that it could be used to deliver heavy cargo, personnel and materiel to far-flung locales across the great expanses of the Pacific. In doing so it would help reduce some of the Pentagon's looming logistic woes were it to fight across such a large theater. In the case of this mysterious aircraft being tested by China, it is loosely similar in scale to what we have seen of their new amphibious flying boat, the AG600, which is intended to perform resupply, search and rescue, and other missions, especially over the South China Sea. This WIG aircraft appears ideally suited for similar applications in the littorals. Flying low utilizing the thick cushion of air above the water to increase lift and decrease drag, the aircraft also stays under the surface/land-based radar horizon. Considering it is an aircraft, not a boat, it isn't vulnerable to mines, submarines, and other dangers that can lurk even in seemingly lower-threat waters. Still, it is not a survivable asset in a highly contested combat arena, but if a war were to erupt between the U.S. and China, China would be fighting in their own backyard, unlike the United States. Vast areas extending from its shores will remain readily accessible for periods of time. This is where such an aircraft would be useful even in a high-end fight — providing logistical support to remote areas and especially in recovering downed aircrew and other personnel. Even sea control and anti-submarine warfare applications are real possibilities. The biggest claim surrounding this aircraft is that it's jet powered. The image of its rear seems to point to that, but at the time we thought this remained very inconclusive as it looked like propellers may have been intended for it but not yet fitted. Still the exhausts looked large for a turboprop. This new pictures from the front is also inconclusive and there may be spindles or at least some sort of spike at the front of the engine nacelles, which would point to propellers. There are also upper inlets as well, which would mean two large inlets per nacelle if it was jet powered, which seems odd. It's also quite possible that this uses a new hybrid-electric propulsion system, which may make a lot of sense for this kind of aircraft. Regardless, these are low-resolution images that are sparse in details, and the aircraft could end up being jet powered, but it remains a significant question mark for us. As for the rest of the aircraft, it has a large joined v-tail, which is not uncommon for WIG craft. The wings have large outrigger wing-float sponsons on their tips and the hull appears to have smaller sponsons amidships. The nose is perhaps the most exotic element and it looks blended for efficiency, at least in a modern sense. The aircraft very likely leverages heavy use of composite structures allowing for weight savings, aerodynamic enhancement, and limited signature control as a byproduct. We also see a common flying boat stepped hull and a larger door open on its side, which would be useful for hauling cargo and recovering personnel. It's also worth noting that this aircraft could very well be a technology demonstrator that is meant to test a variety of design elements. It could even be a subscale one, or it could be meant to at least inform larger designs. On that note, it has clear similarities to the Pentagon's Liberty Lifter very large WIG craft that is in the works. So there you have it, our first full view of the 'Bohai Sea Monster,' as Sutton calls it. As with any new aircraft 'leaks' out of China, we should see a steady stream of higher-resolution imagery of this craft in the weeks to come. Contact the author: Tyler@
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Chinese ‘invasion barges' spotted on drills for first time
Chinese 'D-Day style' barges have been spotted practising what appear to be amphibious landings in the South China Sea. Footage shows the Chinese navy exercising the huge special landing barges, which defence analysts warn could prove critical in the event of a full-scale invasion of Taiwan. The Shuiqiao barges, which seemingly draw inspiration from the Mulberry harbours built for the Normandy landings in 1944, have long road bridges measuring up to 120m (394ft) extending from their bows. The bridges act as a floating, retractable pier that could be used to rapidly unload tanks, fighting vehicles, heavy equipment or troops from ships on to enemy shores. They may also allow Beijing's forces to bypass beach defences or to reach beaches previously considered unsuitable for amphibious landings. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has piled military pressure on the self-governing island in recent years, deploying warships and fighter jets to simulate a future blockade and an invasion. Open-source analysts had previously spotted three to five of the special purpose barges being built in Guangzhou shipyard in southern China. According to Naval News, each barge took just a few months to complete, although they have been in development since 2022. The footage – which first emerged on Chinese social media platforms before it was deleted – was taken close to China's naval headquarters in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 600 miles south of Taiwan. 'Tailor-made for an amphibious assault' The barges appear 'tailor-made for an amphibious assault', according to HI Sutton, a naval analyst who first reported on the barges in January, arguing they could be an 'early warning sign' of a potential invasion of Taiwan. 'It is possible that these ships can be explained away as having a civilian role. But the construction of so many, much larger than similar civilian vessels seen before, makes this implausible,' he wrote in Naval News. Dr Emma Salisbury, a sea power research fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, believes the barges could be the missing piece of the puzzle for a possible invasion of Taiwan. She told The Telegraph: 'A core problem for the PRC [China] in invading Taiwan is getting the necessary heavy equipment over the Strait – and the solution to that problem is what we are seeing with these barges. 'While landing forces on contested shores is always going to be difficult, these barges look to be ideal for moving tanks, armoured vehicles, and the like quickly and safely on to shore.' The fact that Beijing has permitted details of these barges to become public signals the threat China poses in the region, she said. The barges provide broadly the same function as the US military's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system (JLOTS) which it used in a failed attempt to deliver aid to Gaza last year. The floating, interlocking humanitarian pier was only operational for 20 days owing to weather, technical and security problems. China's version could also be vulnerable to high winds and seas and – in the case of an invasion of Taiwan – an easy target to destroy, according to Timothy R. Heath, a senior international defence researcher at RAND. 'The slow moving barges are easily targeted so they are unlikely to survive in the middle of a battle on the beaches,' he told The Telegraph. He added: 'The PLA has many better suited military-grade amphibious assault ships that could carry out similar tasks of unloading armoured vehicles.' Mr Heath argued the barges are more likely to be used to deliver humanitarian supplies to disaster-struck regions with poor port infrastructure. Yet, alarm bells should still be ringing in Taipei and Washington, warned Tom Shugart, a defence analyst and former submariner. The new footage, he argued on X, does not suggest an attack is imminent, but there should be fears 'for when they've fully tested these and perhaps built many more'. It comes amid growing concerns over China's rapidly growing naval fleet as part of its race to become a global maritime power. A new report suggests China has built the equivalent of the entire Royal Navy in just a few years, overtaking the US Navy in terms of hull count and nearing its fleet tonnage. Between 2019 and 2023, four shipyards in the country – Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Hudong-Zhonghua – produced at least 39 warships, which is more than the Royal Navy's battle force fleet, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
