Pakistani-Chinese Naval Capabilities A Growing Threat

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Pakistani-Chinese Naval Capabilities A Growing Threat

Cpl. Darien J. Bjorndal/U.S. Marine Corps via Getty Images

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LAWRENCE SELLINRETIRED COLONEL, U.S. ARMY RESERVE
November 06, 201811:30 AM ETFONT SIZE:
I am not talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a program of infrastructure and resource exploitation projects linked to a transportation network that connects China to the Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi on the Arabian Sea, the flagship of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Beijing’s blueprint for global domination.

I am talking about CPEC’s hard power component, the enormous expansion of dual-use military facilities being established all along Pakistan’s southern Balochistan coast.


The purchase of land in Balochistan by the Pakistani Navy and the expansion of naval facilities in the province have occurred in parallel with the onset of Chinese investment in the deep-water port of Gwadar after an agreement was signed during the state visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in 2001. Construction began in 2002 and subsequent to completion of Phase 1 in 2007, the first commercial cargo vessel docked at the port on March 15, 2008, the then Chinese “POS Glory,” with 70,000 metric tons of wheat.

In 2008, the Pakistani Navy obtained 2,500 acres of land near Kunchiti village in the Dasht subdivision along the M8 highway, which eventually became part of the CPEC land route connecting China to Gwadar. In that area, there is a large parcel of fenced land with watchtowers where Chinese officials and engineers have visited and conducted pre-construction soil sampling. The site is believed to be designated for the housing of personnel.

In 2010, the Pakistani Navy acquired, some might say confiscated, farmland on the outskirts of Turbat, a city northeast of Gwadar and approximately 100 kilometers inland from the coast. In 2017, Pakistan opened — and the Chinese visited — a new naval air base outside of Turbat. The base is meant to provide air surveillance and defense cover for the maritime areas between Gwadar and Pakistan’s Ormara naval base, considered of strategic importance to CPEC.

In December 2017, it was reported that high-level Chinese delegations had visited Sonmiani, just north of Karachi, and purchased large tracts of land in the area. Sonmiani is the location of Pakistan’s space center and the newly-established Weapon Testing Range, built with the support of China.




This year there have been revelations about plans to build a Chinese naval base on the Jiwani peninsula, Chinese submarine visits to Pakistan’s Ormara naval base and Chinese-Pakistani discussions related to potential military projects on the island of Astola, which is located adjacent to vital sea lanes about twenty miles off the coast between the Pakistani naval bases at Pasni and Ormara.

Recently, local residents claim the Pakistan Navy is buying thousands of acres of land around the Kalmat Khor Lagoon, roughly halfway between the Balochistan’s coastal towns of Pasni and Ormara (again), even though the area surrounding the lagoon is a designated wildlife sanctuary. Fishermen in the village of Kalmat say their access to the lagoon has been blocked by security posts being built by the Pakistan Navy.

Thus, in less than a decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in Pakistani-Chinese naval capability along the entire Balochistan coast from the Jiwani peninsula near the Iranian border to Sonmiani just north of Karachi.

Seen as an extension of CPEC, this “China-Pakistan Military Corridor,” commenced last month under the guise of Pakistan’s Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP). It is being advertised as a means “to protect national and international shipping” and an ability for “generating rapid support to contingencies like Humanitarian Assistance, Search and Rescue and Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations in times of need.”


More likely, RMSP and the expansion of dual-use Pakistani-Chinese naval capability in Balochistan is to secure CPEC, control “critical sea areas and choke points in the Indian Ocean region” and provide a strategic link between China’s bases in the South China Sea and its naval facility in Djibouti at entrance to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The “China-Pakistan Military Corridor” will isolate India, increase the vulnerability of U.S. operations in the Persian Gulf area and outflank the U.S. naval base on Diego Garcia.

Beijing’s ambitions remain unchecked.

Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, an IT command-and-control subject matter expert, trained in Arabic and Kurdish, and a veteran of Afghanistan, northern Iraq and a humanitarian mission to West Africa.

https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/06/pakistan-chinese-threat/

How shameless. the yankees squeezes our strategic space. threatening to block the Strait of Malacca. then accuse us want to "rule the earth." WTF! this is the new Hollywood movie?

so. US Navy to the SCS is a "freedom of navigation." Chinese navy to the Panama Canal is a "global threat"?

Sorry, we are not targeting any country，we just want to say to the yankees - I love your mother.

 

[aziqbal]

Chinas hard work has paid off since 2010, last 10 years China did not look up slowly they went from 1 x Type 071 LPD to today 2 x Carriers, 2 x LHD and 8 x LPD a very large and capable fleet

in 2021 we will see the 003 launched thats second only to USN

now if China add 004 by 2025 with 2 x CVN 005 and 006 by 2030 thats 6 x carriers, 2 x STOBAR, 2 x CATOBAR and 2 x CVN

by which time the 3rd LHD will be launched with 3 larger x Type 075A

What does Pakistan bring with 4 x Type 054AP? it brings operability and Pakistan can also integrate its units into future Chinese carrier strike groups it can be part of the entire battle group

thats more than just single FFG there is alot of benefit in this type of operation

now add 8 x SSK from China again important word here is "operability"

if we can add a Type 054AP + 1 x SSK to a future Chinese carrier strike it would be hugely beneficial

 

[Tipu7]

Chinas hard work has paid off since 2010, last 10 years China did not look up slowly they went from 1 x Type 071 LPD to today 2 x Carriers, 2 x LHD and 8 x LPD a very large and capable fleet

in 2021 we will see the 003 launched thats second only to USN

now if China add 004 by 2025 with 2 x CVN 005 and 006 by 2030 thats 6 x carriers, 2 x STOBAR, 2 x CATOBAR and 2 x CVN

by which time the 3rd LHD will be launched with 3 larger x Type 075A

What does Pakistan bring with 4 x Type 054AP? it brings operability and Pakistan can also integrate its units into future Chinese carrier strike groups it can be part of the entire battle group

thats more than just single FFG there is alot of benefit in this type of operation

now add 8 x SSK from China again important word here is "operability"

if we can add a Type 054AP + 1 x SSK to a future Chinese carrier strike it would be hugely beneficial

By 2030, Pakistan Navy will be far capable than what it is now and will be able to minimize the capability difference against Indian Navy to great extent despite of later's consistent modernization. Same goes for China.

 

[Pakistani Fighter]

00% agree with improving naval capabilities. In fact, I do not agree with the thought that PN should be a littoral (brown water) force. PN at the minimum should be a green-water force, capable of operating in the entire Sindhu Sagar (aka the Arabian Sea and ), Middle Eastern waters, and the much of the Indian Ocean.

We needs 6 Type 052Ds armed with HHQ 9B/HHQ 9C?

 

[Akh1112]

We needs 6 Type 052Ds armed with HHQ 9B/HHQ 9C?

I would disagree. We have a reasonably small coastline. India and China use longer ranged systems on their air defense frigates/destroyers since they have a very large coastline to protect. The 70km range on the HHQ-16 is pretty sufficient and as China develops the missile further, we may see a better variant for longer ranged defense or different missiles for different roles, like the US standard series

 

[Pakistani Fighter]

I would disagree. We have a reasonably small coastline. India and China use longer ranged systems on their air defense frigates/destroyers since they have a very large coastline to protect. The 70km range on the HHQ-16 is pretty sufficient and as China develops the missile further, we may see a better variant for longer ranged defense or different missiles for different roles, like the US standard series

We need to destroy Brahmos like Supersonic missiles as far away from our platforms as possible as it has great Kinetic Energy. Long Range SAMs would make their MPAs stay away from observing our platforms and hunting for submarines

 

[MastanKhan]

really doubt that. there is tonnes of land there, no need to "confiscate" farmland.

Navy's interest in Khor Kalmat is nothing new, similar efforts were made in the 80s as well, when it was identified as a good site for a Naval base. Navy tried hard to build a road there as well. dont know what came of it.

Off topic, miani and khor kalmat would serve very well as tourist resorts.

I dont know much, but wouldnt an airbase at Turbat be too far away? should build one just outside Gwadar to provide proper aircover. Maybe only MPA/MSA will be posted there, and not jets.

Hi,

Taking a look at the map---Turbat would be an ideal place for an air base for the navy---. A little far back from the ocean---source of water right by---a comparative secure place---.

 

[MastanKhan]

really doubt that. there is tonnes of land there, no need to "confiscate" farmland.

Navy's interest in Khor Kalmat is nothing new, similar efforts were made in the 80s as well, when it was identified as a good site for a Naval base. Navy tried hard to build a road there as well. dont know what came of it.

Off topic, miani and khor kalmat would serve very well as tourist resorts.

I dont know much, but wouldnt an airbase at Turbat be too far away? should build one just outside Gwadar to provide proper aircover. Maybe only MPA/MSA will be posted there, and not jets.

Hi,

In the US it is called Eminent Domain--- The Colonel knows better not to make such stupid comments---.

Under eminent domain---even a private land developer can take your property pay you and move along----like building a city mall etc etc etc leave alone the military---.

Sadly---the US should not have fckd up pakistan like it did after 2005---but then the US being US---it does it out of habit---.

 

[OldenWisdom...قول بزرگ]

Hi,

Taking a look at the map---Turbat would be an ideal place for an air base for the navy---. A little far back from the ocean---source of water right by---a comparative secure place---.

If Pakistan is to avert an Indian Naval blockade than it needs an out of the box solution. Pakistan needs a Naval base in Somalia, Turkiye already has a military base in Mogadishu and they will be receptive to having a shared naval base. It changes the whole paradigm...

 

[MastanKhan]

If Pakistan is to avert an Indian Naval blockade than it needs an out of the box solution. Pakistan needs a Naval base in Somalia, Turkiye already has a military base in Mogadishu and they will be receptive to having a shared naval base. It changes the whole paradigm...

Hi,

Pakistan basically needs heavy strike aircraft like the JH7A's equipped with CM400AKG's---. Indian naval flotilla would not even get close---.

But yes---yemen crisis provided this opportunity for pakistan---but then pakistanis fckd up---.

As a nation for its self preservation---there is NO COUNTRY more callous and short sighted than my motherland and no people more careless about their country than pakistanis---.