China Briefs Archives - National Maritime Foundation

CHINA'S NINTH TYPE 071 LPD - FROM KEEL LAYING TO LAUNCH IN FOUR MONTHS!

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 29 dated 03 Sep 2026 China launched its ninth PLA Navy Type 071 LPD (excluding the one built for Thailand) from the Hudong Zhonghua new facility on Changxing Island on 23 Aug…

PLA NAVY’S MAJOR BASES FOR LARGE EXPEDITIONARY VESSELS

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 28 dated 30 Aug 2026 The PLA Navy continues to invest heavily in its expeditionary capabilities. In the brief titled ‘The PLA Navy Doubles Down on its Large Amphib Fleet’…

THE PLA NAVY LAUNCHES ITS LARGEST REPLENISHMENT VESSEL

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 27 dated 25 Jul 2026 Insofar as Navy’s go, the PLA Navy has been a late entrant to the practice of creating capabilities for underway replenishment of its vessels at sea…

THE PLA NAVY DOUBLES DOWN ON ITS LARGE AMPHIB FLEET

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 26 dated 09 Jul 2026 China expeditionary capabilities continue to grow from strength to strength. While this has been a long-term enterprise dating back several decades and…

AN UPDATE ON THE UPGRADATION OF YUCHI NAVAL BASE

REAR ADMIRAL MONTY KHANNA (RETD) – ‘DABOLIM DIARIES’ ISSUE NO 25 DATED 24 JUN 2026 Yuchi Naval Base (35o 43.’4 N, 119o 58’.9 E) in Guzhen Bay is located about 50 km South West of Qingdao. It is the primary base of the Northern Theatre…

JNCX SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADES ITS SUBMARINE BUILDING CAPABILITIES

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 24 dated 08 Jun 2026 New Sail-less Submarine Recently released images dated 29 May 2026 shows a new sail-less submarine docked at the wet basin in JNCX at the berth that…

CHINA’S TYPE 076 LHA NEARS COMMISSIONING

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 23 dated 25 May 2026 PLA Navy Expeditionary Assets China has made considerable investment in her expeditionary capabilities. More notably, the expeditionary assets…

PAKISTAN'S HANGOR CLASS SUBMARINE PROGRAMME – AN UPDATE

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 22 dated 17 May 2026 This brief is an update on Pakistan’s Hangor Class submarine programme, an earlier report on which was published on 25 March 2025. Several…

A HOME PORT FOR CHINA’S NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 21 dated 07 May 2026 China’s aircraft carrier programme is gathering steam. The commissioning of the Liaoning (25 Sep 2012) was followed by the Shandong…

CHINA’S SURVEY AND RESEARCH VESSEL (CSRV) FLEET AND ASSOCIATED RESEARCH INSTITUTES: PART III – GUANGZHOU MARINE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (GMGS)

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 20 dated 31 Mar 2026 The Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) operates under the direct control of China Geological Survey, Ministry of Land and Resources.…

CHINA’S SURVEY AND RESEARCH VESSEL (CSRV) FLEET AND ASSOCIATED RESEARCH INSTITUTES: PART IV – FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY (MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES)

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 19 dated 19 Mar 2026 China has over the years created four large Institutes of Oceanography that function under the Ministry of Natural Resources, often…

CHINA’S SURVEY AND RESEARCH VESSEL (CSRV) FLEET AND ASSOCIATED RESEARCH INSTITUTES: PART II – CHINA OCEAN MINERAL RESOURCES R&D ASSOCIATION

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna (Retd) – ‘Dabolim Diaries’ Issue No 18 dated 10 Mar 2026 China has placed itself as a major player in the arena of seabed mining in ‘the Area’. It has done so systematically, progressively increasing its…