In recent years, the U.S. military has frequently carried out military aircraft activities in the waters of the South China Sea, attempting to carry out reconnaissance and provocation in close proximity, triggering a number of incidents in which the PLA has taken high-intensity actions to intercept and drive away. According to authoritative information released by the Southern Theater of Operations recently, the US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship USS Giffords illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha on the same day.
In recent years, the U.S. military has frequently carried out military aircraft activities in the South China Sea in an attempt to conduct reconnaissance and provocations, triggering many high-intensity actions by the PLA to intercept and drive away. The most recent case was the illegal intrusion of the USS Giffords Littoral Combat Ship into the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands, and the Southern Theater organized follow-up monitoring and maintained a high level of vigilance.
The activities of US littoral combat ships in the South China Sea, although not very often, are worthy of vigilance. For example, on July 2, 2020, a U.S. littoral combat ship arrived near the South China Sea to conduct reconnaissance, triggering close surveillance of the 054A frigate of the Chinese Navy. Although the PLA Navy did not mention interception and evacuation in this incident, the authoritative announcement issued by the Southern Theater of Operations indicated that the US ship was on surveillance and alert.
The USS Giffords Littoral Combat Ship belongs to the U.S. Navy's "Independence" class, with a trimaran design, and its main systems include one MK-110 57mm naval gun, two AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, and 24 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. Despite its relatively weak configuration and firepower, its greatest advantage is its extremely fast speed, which can reach up to 44 knots, surpassing most surface ships of its class. In non-war situations, there may not be an exchange of fire between ships, but speed is critical for operations such as interception and dispersal.
As far as the PLA is concerned, it is necessary to recognize the reasons behind the littoral combat ships and increase vigilance to ensure the security and stability of China's South China Sea.
When a littoral combat ship tried to illegally enter China's islands and reefs within 12 nautical miles of the South China Sea, the interception challenge faced by our navy was obvious. The top speed of traditional capital ships such as the Type 054A frigate and the Type 052D destroyer is only about 28-30 knots, far behind the 44 knots of Littoral Combat Ships. One-on-one interception is extremely difficult, so it is necessary for multiple ships to act together to build a multi-level encirclement, pursuit, and interception. However, such a tactic may lead to our ships being distracted by littoral combat ships, and the effect will be limited.
In the direction of the South China Sea, our navy has deployed Type 022 missile boats in response to this challenge, which has become an effective means of restraint. Although this small ship has a tonnage of only more than 200 tons and a limited endurance, it has shown unique advantages. The satellite** disclosed by foreign media and the actions carried out by our navy in the South China Sea show that the 022 missile boat has become a normal deployment in the South China Sea. On November 10 this year, the Philippine side found traces of the 022 missile boat in the waters near Second Thomas Shoal.
The 022 missile boat is based on a number of islands built by China in the South China Sea, such as Mischief Island and Fiery Cross Island, to carry out combat patrols. Although the tonnage of this kind of ship is small and the endurance range is not long, relying on islands and reefs in Nansha Islands and other sea areas, the 022 missile boat can be flexibly used, providing a powerful choice for China's navy to deal with littoral combat ships.
The 022 missile boat is known for its high-speed wave-piercing design, and its maximum speed is up to 50 knots, which is enough to easily catch up with the US Navy's littoral combat ships. Even if the Littoral Combat Ship sails at full speed, it will be difficult to escape the rapid pursuit of the 022 missile boat. This makes the 022 missile boat the only ship in our country that has the ability to comprehensively suppress the Littoral Combat Ship in terms of speed and configuration in a non-war state.
In terms of **, the 022 missile boat is not only fast, but also powerful. It can carry eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles and one AK-630M1-2 30-mm 6-barrel rapid-fire gun. This powerful ** configuration makes the 022 missile boat fearless of littoral combat ships and shows a strong response capability.
On December 14, the reason why the U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship avoided forcibly invading Second Thomas Shoal was because the PLA took swift and forceful countermeasures. Although it is unclear whether the PLA touched the 022 missile boats, the readily deployable 022 missile boats near Ren'ai Jiao have demonstrated a solid guarantee for the effective interception and dispersion of the US Navy Littoral Combat Ships. In the face of rumors in recent years about the possible retirement of the 022 missile boat, it now seems that the 022 missile boat has found an ideal place to give full play to its advantages in the South China Sea.