Wexin
Images of a cargo ship in Shanghai carrying containers with vertical launchers, sensors and self-defense systems
Containers mounted on Chinese freighters, with vertical launch systems, radars and defense weaponry, bear the words “plan for the maritime renaissance of the Chinese nation and community with a shared future for humanity in the ocean”.
Images of a cargo ship in Shanghai, with vertical launchers, sensors and self-defense systems installed in containers, are sparking debate as they apparently demonstrate China’s ability to convert civil vessels for military purposes.
According to , the photographs show vertical launch systems, rotating scanning and long-range radars and defense weapons installed on top of containers on a cargo ship.
This configuration appears to be a temporary installationapparently intended for transform the merchant ship into a warship heavily armed.
Although the date of the photographs has not been confirmed, the location has been identified as the Estaleiro Hudong-Zhonghuain Shanghai, where the amphibious assault ship is being built Sichuan Tipo 076which will have completed its second sea trial this month. One of the images shows the cargo ship docked next to Sichuan.
Other photographs show containers on board with a enigmatic phrase: “blueprint for Chinese nation’s maritime renaissance and community of shared future for humanity in the ocean”.
According to the SCMP, there is no reference, in official Beijing documents, to the slogan “maritime renaissance of the Chinese nation”, although China pursues the goal of becoming a “maritime power”.
The other part of the sentence represents a maritime extension of the president’s broader concept Xi Jinping of a “community with a shared future for humanity”.
In the absence of official confirmation and further details, some users on social media questioned whether the images actually show a real conversion of a ship, suggesting that it could it is a filming set.
Still, the photographs fueled speculation among military analysts about the Beijing’s ability to adapt civilian vessels for military use.
Yue Ganga retired People’s Liberation Army colonel and military commentator, says the photographed cargo ship appears to carry a “modular system of weapons in containers”.
If authentic, it will serve as a “practical verification platform for containerized weapons systems – a modular maritime firepower uniteasily deployable, characterized by low conversion costs, rapid mass production capacity and suitable for war scenarios with high consumption”, says the analyst.
Yue adds that both the US and Russia already have operational experience with this type of systems, highlighting that merchant ships are only temporarily transformed into “firepower platforms” in time of war.
These operations can unlock enormous defense potential“taking advantage of the vast Chinese shipbuilding capacity to achieve its unique maritime people’s war strategy”, afirmou Yue.
Liang Guolianga military analyst based in Hong Kong cited by SCMP, believes that the ship depicted could be a experimental prototype of a modular warehouse ship, with a commercial ship hull.
“If successful, it will be much better than the old method of converting commercial ships for military use, which andmore laborious and expensive. This modular conversion is much faster, scalable and more convenient, especially if combined with an AI-assisted control system”, says Liang.
Second Collin Kohsenior researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, points out that geolocation satellite images have shown that the ship, at least, is “legitimate”while the onboard modules “look real, although they may be models”.
“Given the evidence, I see this as yet another facet of Beijing’s asymmetric strategy, aimed at neutralize military advantages of the United States and its allies,” explained Koh.
“Instead of building more conventional warships… one can maximize the potential by install a wide range of mission modulesincluding kinetic weapons, on different commercial ships.”
Koh emphasizes that this prototype “goes beyond the typical use of regular navies” and could have implications for international shipping.
