China and India’s tensions will still escalate in the Indo-Pacific Region. Therefore, Beijing is preparing a powerful radar system capable of tracking multiple targets within a range of 35,000 kilometers.
According to the Chinese news channel, the government of China is preparing a powerful radar system that possesses the potential to alter the balance of naval power on a global scale. Scientists working on the project claim that a Chinese military warship is equipped with high-tech features capable enough to detect ballistic missiles from a remarkable distance of up to 4,500 kilometers.
Hence, the above detection range concerns the geographical span between southern China and North Australia. According to Chinese researchers, it is an ideal selection for deployment on new Chinese warships. Though, the construction of the first system is already underway.
The progress of the high-tech radar system was revealed in a peer-reviewed paper published on May 31 in the Chinese Language Journal Electric Machines and Control.
The paper also says that the advanced radar system can track multiple targets within a range of 3500 kilometers, which nearly matches the distance of Guam.
Guam, a crucial American territory home to a sizable US military base, could potentially obstruct Chinese military operations in the vent of a conflict. The Chinese scientists also noted that China had been motivated to create robust radar systems to give its warships a competitive edge due to the increased presence of US military forces in Asia, which has increased the likelihood of confrontations.
However, over the past few months, it has been noticed that the region is involved in aggressive actions by Chinese forces directed towards the United States and its allied forces.
For instance: On June 5, the US military revealed a video reportedly showing the Chinese navy engaged in an unsafe maneuver in the Taiwan Strait. The video showcases a Chinese navy ship creating a sharp cut across the path of an American destroyer. As a result, the US vessel had to reduce its speed to prevent a significant collision.
Capabilities Of New Radar System
According to researchers, making the radar system appropriate for newer ships with electric propulsion systems is challenging. In contrast, most radar systems are constrained by power requirements and have ranges of only a few hundred kilometers.
However, the new generation radar consists of an extraordinary number of transceivers, estimated to be in the “tens of thousands.”
Each transceiver acts as an independent radar capable of sending and receiving signals. Through this, they can generate Pitney pulse electromagnetic signals, reaching up to 30 megawatts in strength.
In Beijing, a radar scientist said that “installing a 30-megawatt radar on a battleship was once considered science fiction. However, due to growing US military activities in Asia, China is pressured to develop more advanced radars for its warships”.
According to scientists, “With the invention of this powerful radar system, China aims to exert greater influence and potentially suppress the US in the South China Sea.”
Though, the high-tech radar system has various challenges to work on. For instance, the world’s most powerful radar system, the 32-megawatt AN/FPS/-85 in Florida, occupies over 23,000 square meters.
Researchers had to disconnect the radar from the ship’s power network and use large capacitors as buffers to safeguard other electronic devices to solve power supply problems.
China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), known for building high-speed trains and being a pioneer in the mass production of supercapacitors, worked with the researchers.
The ship’s power supply network is subjected to a constant load of only 235 kilowatts from the radar, manageable by standard warship generators.
However, if implemented successfully, the radar’s system-reported capabilities could significantly improve China’s naval forces by giving them a more comprehensive range of early warning and detection, strengthening their defensive capabilities.
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