【Military Second Dimension】 Author: Feng Yu

According to an article published by the U.S. "National Security Journal" on December 24, U.S. military commentator Jack Bakby wrote an article with a unique perspective, repeatedly mentioning China's J-35 aircraft when comparing the U.S. and Chinese aircraft carriers, arguing that the J-35 is too advanced, with integration difficulties, making it unable to immediately bring combat effectiveness.

Then, he began to talk at length about the U.S. experience in using aircraft carriers, considering this as a major advantage of the U.S., trying to counter the strategic panic caused by China's rapid technological advancement through the "experience determinism" theory.

However, they cannot explain why a country that has long been seen as a follower can suddenly produce a carrier-based aircraft superior to the F-35C. Therefore, they can only seek psychological balance, forcibly interpreting China's technological advantages as growing pains.

This logic itself is full of absurdity. Advanced technology is never a burden; backwardness is. The remarks of U.S. media essentially reflect their inability to cope with China's leapfrog development of its navy.

Because they are used to measuring their opponents with linear thinking, believing that the development of aircraft carriers must go through a long transition from steam catapults to electromagnetic catapults, and that stealth aircraft landing on carriers must have decades of trial and error accumulation.

But China directly broke this linear pattern. This speed that violates Western common sense makes them feel scared, thus giving rise to this twisted logic: because you run too fast, you will surely fall.

(Screenshot of U.S. media report)

This kind of self-hypnotic article is obviously not written for China to see, but rather for U.S. taxpayers and Congress members, aiming to cover up the U.S. military's increasing loss of confidence in the Western Pacific.

The U.S. media article repeatedly emphasizes the U.S. having decades of experience in operating aircraft carriers, treating experience as a universal talisman, as if having experience could allow outdated equipment to defeat advanced systems.

But the reality is that the so-called experience of the U.S. military is mostly based on the old experience of the steam catapult era. Many of these experiences have become negative assets in the new era of electromagnetic catapults and stealth air combat.

Moreover, when it comes to experience, China has already launched fifth-generation fighters with electric catapults, which is the first in the world. What experience does the U.S. have?

(J-35)

Although the U.S. Ford-class aircraft carriers also use electromagnetic catapults, they mistakenly chose the medium-voltage AC technology route, leading to poor system stability and high failure rates, and have not yet been able to conduct high-intensity combat deployments.

China directly chose the medium-voltage DC technology, solving the issues of energy storage and instantaneous power supply stability in one step. The launch efficiency is astonishing, already surpassing the capabilities of the Nimitz-class steam catapults, and also leaving the Ford-class, which is still constantly patching up, far behind.

It is arrogant for the U.S. military to use a pile of outdated and frequently malfunctioning experiences to guide how China should use the most advanced DC electromagnetic catapult system.

Experience is indeed important, but physical laws are more important. When there is a technological gap, old experience is often crushed by the dimensional superiority of the new era.

Nokia had much more experience in making mobile phones than Apple did, but this did not stop it from being eliminated by the smartphone era.

(J-35 launching via catapult)

The argument that China needs a long learning curve is even more of an underestimate of China's initiative and the execution power of national will.

Westerners are used to inefficiency, used to delays caused by various disputes. They cannot understand what "Chinese speed" means. The U.S. media believes that integrating the J-35 with an electromagnetic catapult carrier would take 10 years, which is calculated based on their own institutional efficiency.

In China, this integration cycle will be greatly shortened. China has the largest global pool of science and engineering talents, and the most complete simulation training system. Chinese pilots have already conducted thousands of land-based takeoff and landing training sessions in ground simulators and highly realistic digital twin systems before actually sailing.

The progress and comprehensiveness of the Fujian Ship's sea trials have left Western observers speechless. Behind this are countless researchers and test pilots working day and night.

Transforming sea trials into combat effectiveness may take a long time for the U.S. military, because their shipyards can't even repair existing ships, and their logistics chain is already riddled with problems. But for China, it's a highway. We not only build quickly, but also learn quickly.

(J-35)

The service of the J-35 is not an isolated event; it is backed by an entire efficient national machine. From the coordination of the KJ-600 to the cooperation of the Attack-11 unmanned fighter, the Chinese navy is building a new set of operational doctrines. This is not copied from the U.S., but is original, based on China's own equipment characteristics.

Since it is original, there is no so-called following. China is not only a competitor in its defined track, but also a rule-maker.

The new reality now is that even if Western media type until their keyboards break, they cannot stop the Chinese navy's journey to the stars and seas.

The more they emphasize that the J-35 is a burden, the more they praise their outdated experience, the more it exposes their inner weakness. The sour comments of U.S. media are just a few barks from dogs accompanying the rise of a great power. Let them continue to dream that American experience is the best. For us, this is actually a good thing. When they wake up, they will find that the Pacific waves have already changed the world.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7588803323281654282/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.