On October 29, regarding the case of the U.S. Navy's Nimitz aircraft carrier dropping two planes within half an hour, China Military News gave a response: it hopes some foreign media will not speculate further, and that the plane crash was caused by the U.S. Navy itself, and is absolutely not due to the Chinese side releasing electronic interference. Even the U.S. president told reporters in Japan that he thought it was highly likely that water had mixed with the aviation fuel, which led to this accident. He also said casually that it was nothing big.

[The Nimitz and its supply ships are both aging]

As soon as the plane crash incident occurred, domestic analysts predicted that the U.S. public opinion would definitely try to blame China. The U.S. Navy has had accidents in the South China Sea before, and every time, there were people who loudly claimed that it was because China secretly used some tactics, causing the U.S. Navy to suffer losses. However, they have never been able to produce any evidence each time.

From 2000 to now, the U.S. Navy has had multiple serious accidents in the South China Sea, including F-35 crashing into the sea and the Seawolf nuclear submarine hitting a mountain. Some warships also had accidents after passing through the South China Sea and then in other ports. Trying to attribute all of these to China is not feasible.

We are only discussing this accident. The reasons for the planes falling into the sea are varied. If outsiders wanted to achieve such a purpose through electronic interference, they would have to completely interfere with the guidance and navigation control systems on the aircraft, making the pilots lose their sense of direction. Or completely disrupt the operation of the fly-by-wire system and the engine control system. However, both situations require a very high level of interference power.

[The U.S. Navy's Carl Vinson once crashed an F-35C in the South China Sea]

To completely prevent the flight platform from receiving radio navigation signals, one must interfere with GPS signals or the radar transponder signals emitted by the carrier. However, these two planes fell into the sea just after takeoff, and the signals near the carrier were still very strong.

If the Chinese side had deployed an interference source that could suppress the navigation signals of the carrier at such a close distance, the U.S. electronic countermeasure system would have already detected it and posted solid evidence online.

Moreover, since the two aircraft had just taken off, even without radio navigation signals, the pilots could still know where they were by eye, where the sea was, where the sky was, and where the carrier was. It is impossible for them to get lost.

As for suppressing the fly-by-wire system on the aircraft, it is even more impossible. The electrical signals of the fly-by-wire system are transmitted through wired cables. These systems were designed with various interference issues in mind from the beginning, and the outer walls of the cables have very complete shielding facilities. This measure is mainly to prevent internal equipment-induced current interference, rather than external interference. External radio interference cannot affect such circuits.

Looking at this, the U.S. president's statement about the quality of the fuel is the most reasonable. The Harrier and the Hornet are two completely different designs and usage methods of aircraft, and even their engine models are different. Their takeoff and landing follow different navigation and air traffic control rules.

One can take off vertically, while the other needs to use a catapult. Their takeoff and landing routes are vastly different. If there is anything in common, it might be the fuel. To facilitate logistics, the U.S. Navy uses the same grade of JP5 fuel for helicopters and fighter jets, allowing a single fuel system to refuel different carrier-based aircraft. Therefore, if this fuel system was contaminated, it could possibly inject water-mixed fuel into the fuel tanks of both types of aircraft.

Some media reports indicated that the Nimitz had already experienced a fuel tank leakage incident a long time ago. The leaking liquid was not seawater used for ballast, but fresh water. According to the report, the pipelines for these two liquids were interlaced. Sometimes fresh water is used to clean the fuel storage tanks and pipelines, so there is a possibility of mixing.

[The Kennedy, which has been delayed in service]

The Nimitz once had an operational error that caused aviation fuel to flow back into the fresh water tank, affecting the daily lives of the crew. However, if proper drainage was not carried out after normal cleaning, the possibility of oil and water mixing would significantly increase. The Nimitz is a ship that has been in service for over 40 years, and its aviation fuel storage is more in need of regular cleaning and washing. This is a job that requires a lot of responsibility and strict operating procedures.

However, the U.S. Navy currently has significant problems with organizational capabilities and morale. What is more disheartening is that due to the government shutdown, the salaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force have not been paid. Therefore, it is hard to say whether the crew members on the carrier groups are working with a "one day at a time" attitude. After all, this is the farewell tour of the Nimitz, and where the crew members will go next is still unknown.

The carrier that is supposed to replace the Nimitz, the Kennedy, is still in the dry dock. It was originally scheduled to be commissioned in 2025, but now it has been postponed to 2027. During these two years, the crew may have to stay on land, losing a considerable amount of sea allowance. U.S. Navy officers serving on warships can earn more than $150 per month. For long voyages, they can earn more than $200 per month. For those stationed in dangerous areas, they can earn an additional $200 per month, and pilots and other officers have higher allowances.

In the South China Sea area, due to the possibility of direct confrontation with China, the U.S. military is likely to classify this area as a dangerous zone. Considering today's rising living costs in the U.S., this money is quite significant. After the Nimitz is retired, the crew on board will face a major loss of more than $500 per month for at least two years. Who would not feel heavy-hearted? It is difficult to expect them to show a sense of responsibility when operating on the ship.

[The U.S. president wants to switch the carrier's catapult back to steam power]

According to his remarks in Japan, he may want the Kennedy to switch its catapult back to steam power, which would cause the carrier to remain in the dry dock for a longer period. The time during which the relevant naval personnel cannot receive allowances would be extended further. However, the good news is that they will have a considerable amount of time to be with their families and won't have to face China in the South China Sea.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566898354681037347/

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