US Navy’s new Pacific Command chief expected to step up drive to counter China’s submarine power
Appointment of Admiral Phil Davidson, a specialist in anti-submarine and electronic warfare, likely to see increased American activity in these areas
The nomination of an anti-submarine and electronic warfare specialist as the new head of the US Pacific Command suggests that the Pentagon will be more focused on measures to counter China’s rapid build-up of its submarine forces in the region, military experts have said.
Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said the nomination of Phil Davidson, a four-star admiral, to the post was a mark of America’s “unceasing vigilance” in the face of the rapid development of China’s submarine capabilities.
“There is no doubt that Davidson will also enhance the US Navy’s ASW [anti-submarine] and EW [electric warfare] reconnaissance against China, which is not only his speciality, but also one of Pentagon’s long-term aims to restrain China’s maritime expansion,” Li said.
He added that US had been keeping a careful eye on China’s recent improvements to its mute propulsion and stealth technology.
China has built Asia’s largest submarine base at Yulin, on the south coast of Hainan. The base features underground submarine facilities with tunnel access, shielding Chinese submarines that enter the South China Sea from the prying eyes of US reconnaissance satellites.