A recent Sino-Russian joint air patrol conducted over the waters off Alaska was designed to counter the US military in the Pacific and demonstrated improved interoperability between Beijing’s and Moscow’s forces, a national security expert said.
National Defense University associate professor Chen Yu-chen (陳育正) made the comment in an article published on Wednesday on the Web site of the Journal of the Chinese Communist Studies Institute.
China and Russia sent four strategic bombers to patrol the waters of the northern Pacific and Bering Strait near Alaska in late June, one month after the two nations sent a combined flotilla of four warships to the Pacific Ocean via the Osumi Strait.
Photo: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
These activities marked the eighth air patrol and fourth joint naval patrol of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Russian Armed Forces (RAF) since 2019, Chen said.
Although the Chinese and Russian bombers stayed in international airspace, they passed through the US-Canadian air defense identification zone near Alaska, sparking concern in Washington and Ottawa, he said.
Although the aircraft did not enter the US’ sovereign airspace, the aerial patrol signaled a boost in China’s and Russia’s capabilities in conducting joint operations, he added.
The PLA and RAF demonstrated a high level of coordination and planning in selecting the air route, fuel supply and air control arrangements crucial for ensuring successful cooperation in joint warfare and an ability to respond to developments in the battlespace, he said.
The exercise demonstrated a rising level of interoperability in information sharing and communications between China and Russia’s forces, though the exact capabilities utilized to share data are unknown, Chen said.
Moscow’s statement that Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters participated in the exercise would imply improved interoperability, as a military communication network’s complexity increases with the number of distinct aircraft types being operated, he said.
Citing information published by the US and Canada, Chen said PLA Xian H-6 bombers had used Russian air fields for refueling and maintenance, suggesting adequate coordination was achieved in logistics.
The patrol showed that the PLA’s nuclear deterrence capability has improved as the exercise brought Chinese bombers within the 200-mile (322km) striking distance of Alaska’s coastline, he said.
The Sino-Russian military cooperation reflects the increasing intensity of the competition between the two nations and the US-led coalition in the Indo-Pacific, he said, adding that Beijing considers such alliances to be necessary to counter Washington and its allies’ collective power, he said.
China’s military cooperation with Russia likely targets third parties and the US military’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region, Chen said.
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