PLAN ASW
By My latest at the Diplomat:
As long as the PLAN focused on anti-access rather than expeditionary deployments, it didn’t need to overthink the ASW problem (although it did begin developing some platforms in the 1990s) But now China has big ships, and American, Japanese, Australian, and Vietnamese subs might want to try to sink them someday. Consequently, the PLAN now needs to focus on ASW, and to develop the tools necessary for defeating and deterring foreign subs. Over the past several years the PLAN has fielded several systems designed to do just this, including the Type 056 Corvette, and the Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Most recently, China has developed a system of fixed underwater acoustic sensors. However, most of these systems (including the relatively small Type 056) still depend on proximity to Chinese bases for effectiveness.