Following Shawn C's comments, offline, on Ospreys for Indonesian Makassar LPDs yesterday, Shawn C has two more comments, along the lines:
1. Speaking of the Russians - the US sanctioned China for buying Russian aircraft
[In 2018, the US imposed sanctionson China for buying ten Su-35s from Russia and for China buying Russian S-400 SAM systems, 2018 onwards] bet the US won't do anything to India for buying Russian high-tech aircraft. The Russian designed SU-30MKI built under licence from Russia by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)deal is to keep HAL floating. [ie. solvent].
Pete Comment - While the US may not sanction India for buying/building Russian aircraft the US is sensitive about India buying Russian S-400 SAMs : "The United States threatened India with sanctions over India's decision to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia because India chose S-400 over American origin Patriot pac 3.[156]"
2.
Takeaways of the PLAN Commissar Study include:
- in China CCP political commissars are the same rank and have the equivalent combat and systems training as commanding officers of a naval unit (squadron, flotilla or major warship (maybe submarine and destroyer, frigate major supply ship on up).
The dual-command system gives commissars some specific roles (eg. unit morale, CCP party indoctrination) and some shared roles.
Western naval commanders who could find themselves opposing a Chinese Navy (PLAN) ship need to understand the “CCP before everything” mentality, and that everything a PLAN warship commander does is intentional.
Pete Comment - concerted and interesting discussion on submarines begins from page 15 to 21. eg. on page 15 submarine the commissar-Party Committee chain have a say whether suspected pirate boats should be confronted, fisherman saved and whether the sub should surface or remain submerged when seawater piping malfunctions. Nevertheless in emergency situation a submarine commander can issue orders independently [Pete Comment - doesn't that sound like an ambiguous command recipe! Unfortunately the 50 page study did not appear to say anything about commissar's or CCP influence on SSBN/nuclear weapons doctrine.]
A good article on the PLAN Commissar Study is John Grady’s, July 3, 2020, USNI article “Political Commissars on Chinese Warships Play Crucial Role in Interactions With Foreign Vessels” at https://news.usni.org/2020/07/03/political-commissars-on-chinese-warships-play-crucial-role-in-interactions-with-foreign-vessels
Shawn C and Pete