“The 120,000-ton supercarrier is called Beijing’s strategic signal, not a real space weapon.”, — write: www.unian.ua
The 120,000-ton supercarrier is called Beijing’s strategic signal, not a real space weapon.
China wants to create a space aircraft carrier / screenshotChina presented the concept of the so-called Luanniao space carrier, which, according to Beijing, should become a key element of the future Nantianmen (“Heavenly Gate”) air and space defense system. At the same time, Western experts see the project as a propaganda and strategic signal rather than as a real weapons plan, writes DW.
According to the published information, “Luanniao” should be a giant flying platform about 242 meters long with a wingspan of up to 684 meters and a take-off weight of up to 120,000 tons. From its board, Xuannu unmanned spacecraft will allegedly be able to launch hypersonic missiles and hit targets both in the atmosphere and in orbit.
Juliana Süss, an expert on space security at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), notes that China already ranks second in the world in terms of space potential, second only to the United States. According to her, Beijing is investing “extremely large sums” in space, which has not only military, but also symbolic significance for the Chinese leadership.
However, experts doubt the technical feasibility of the project. The weight of the announced space aircraft carrier exceeds the capabilities of modern launch vehicles, including promising systems such as SpaceX’s Starship. Among the key problems, experts name energy supply, propulsion, cooling, protection from space debris and enormous cost.
German diplomat and space analyst Heinrich Kreft called the project “absolutely unrealistic” from the point of view of current technologies, but did not rule out that it could be part of China’s long-term vision. At the same time, he emphasized that such statements should be considered in the context of psychological and strategic pressure.
American analysts also interpret Luanniao as a deterrent tool. The publication National Interest points out that Beijing may deliberately demonstrate exaggerated capabilities in order to unnerve the West and force it to spend resources on countering a potential threat.
Experts associate the emergence of this concept with the tension surrounding Taiwan and the competition between China and the United States in the field of space defense. In particular, the Luanniao presentation is seen as a response to American plans for multi-level anti-missile defense in space.
According to Juliana Suess, the key element of deterrence is not only technology, but also trust in the declared capabilities. According to analysts, it is in this “gray zone” between reality and perceived threat that the Chinese space aircraft carrier project is operating.
China – Beijing’s military maneuversAs UNIAN reported, unprecedented activity of Chinese fishing vessels was recorded in the East China Sea in recent weeks, gathering in well-coordinated geometric formations. Satellite images and shipping data indicate that this behavior does not correspond to normal fishing activities and may be related to the actions of China’s maritime police.
The first incident occurred on December 25, when more than 2,000 vessels formed two reverse L-shaped lines more than 460 km long off the coast of Shanghai, according to analysts. On January 11, almost 1,500 ships lined up in a line about 480 km long in the same area.
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