The escalation of the situation in the South China Sea due to the provocations of the United States and the Philippines has become one of the focuses of the international community. Ten years ago, the mainland deployed a national weapon in the South China Sea, which attracted the close attention of 32 countries and laid an important foundation for safeguarding the mainland's sovereignty and security in the South China Sea. #热议南海局势#
The important weapon of this country is actually a cutter suction dredger. Although the mainland has the title of "infrastructure madness", this kind of engineering weapon is indispensable for reclamation operations in the distant sea frontier. The cutter suction dredger is an engineering equipment that uses a reamer to dig up loose soil, mix it with cement into mud, and then use pump body and pipeline to transport it to the target area. Since dredging, conveying and unloading are all integrated, the production efficiency is very high. In the past, it was mainly used for dredging of inland rivers and ports. But at a time of tension in the South China Sea, this engineering equipment comes in handy.
(The picture shows the islands and reefs in the South China Sea)
It is important to know that most of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea are far away from the mainland, and some islands and reefs in the Nansha are thousands of kilometers away from the mainland. It is quite difficult to maintain control over the islands and reefs in the South China Sea by dispatching coast guard forces from the mainland. In order to safeguard sovereignty in the South China Sea, it is necessary to deploy sufficient forces on islands and reefs. However, for a long time, the neighboring countries of the South China Sea have gradually encroached on neighboring islands and reefs. As a result, most of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea have lost control, especially those natural islands. At present, China mainly controls some reefs, and does not have the conditions to deploy military forces to maintain sovereignty. #挖泥船#
(The picture shows the cutter suction dredger)
However, in recent years, the United States has returned to the Asia-Pacific region and has continuously put pressure on China, and the situation in the South China Sea has become quite grim. China must strengthen its control over the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, so the use of cutter suction dredgers to expand the area of the islands and reefs to make it easier to deploy forces has become an inevitable option. In 2013, the cutter suction dredger Tianjing sailed to the South China Sea, attracting the attention of dozens of countries. At the time, there were media reports that the United States and some Asian countries believed that it could redraw the territory and borders of the South China Sea, so they closely monitored it.
(The picture shows the cutter suction dredger of the Sky Whale)
In fact, the German company designed the whale itself, but after analysis, the Chinese side found that there were obvious problems with the design plan. However, the foreign side believes that the mainland does not have the conditions to build such ships, so they want to use these problems to extort more costs. The Chinese side did not agree to the request of the foreign side, and the task was assumed by China's own design team. Only then did we independently build the first in Asia and the third in the world, the Sky Whale cutter suction dredger. The vessel has a cutter power of up to 4,200 kW and is capable of discharging mud up to 6 kilometers away for reclamation operations. It only takes an hour to fill a giant crater half a meter the size of a standard football field.
(The picture shows the artificial island built after the reclamation)
On this basis, the Chinese side has developed a cutter suction dredger with stronger capabilities, and it is precisely because of these unique engineering equipment that the South China Sea can appear "nature's miracles". After the completion of artificial islands such as Mischief Island, Fiery Cross Island, and Subi Island, they will support each other to safeguard the mainland's sovereignty in the South China Sea. These islands and reefs are equipped with not only missiles, but also warships and fighter planes, and have become unsinkable aircraft carriers. It can be said that without the cutter suction dredger, which is an important weapon of the country, the current situation in the South China Sea may be even more unfavorable to the mainland. In response to the current provocations launched by the Philippines, China can restart this heavy weapon and blow up Scarborough Shoal to carry out a more powerful deterrent to the Philippines.
In some respects, China's strong infrastructure capabilities have played a role in consolidating national defense and safeguarding the sovereignty and security of the mainland. And at present, the export of cutter suction dredgers, which is a national heavyweight, has been restricted, and it is very difficult for other countries to use this equipment to threaten the sovereignty of the mainland.