Top-of-the-line Chinese weaponry as of 1978:
Service Rifle: Type 59 Rifle (License produced Colt M16A1)
The Type 59 is a variant of the M16A1 rifle that was adopted by the R.O.C. Armed Forces in January 1970. Here are the specifications for the Type 59:
Main Battle Tank: Type 60 Main Battle Tank
The Type 60 Main Battle Tank is an indigenously designed Chinese main battle tank that was adopted by the R.O.C. Armed Forces in early 1971. Here are the specifications for the Type 60 Main Battle Tank:
Although supposedly indigenously designed, the Type 60 Main Battle Tank was more or less an M60A1 armed with an L11A5 120mm rifled gun. This was because the R.O.C. Ministry of National Defense had prioritized the R.O.C. Navy's and R.O.C. Air Force's important projects over other projects. However, the Soviet T-64 appearing at the Sino-Soviet border meant a solution was needed to counter and effectively combat the T-64. Therefore, the easiest solution was to produce an M60A1-like tank equipped with a powerful L11A5 120mm rifled gun.
Most powerful vessels of the R.O.C. Navy:
Flagship: ROCS Kai Shek (USS Bunker Hill)
The USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1957. As a flagship of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Bunker Hill was renamed the ROCS Kai Shek after the then-president of the Republic of China, President Chiang Kai Shek. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Kai Shek:
Aircraft Carrier: ROCS Guan Xiong (USS Essex)
The USS Essex (CV-9) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1957. As an aircraft carrier of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Essex was renamed the ROCS Guan Xiong after the first Minister of Navy of the ROC, Admiral Liu Guan Xiong. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Guan Xiong:
Aircraft carrier that is still being constructed: ROCS Ching Kuo
Flagship (Ceremonial): ROCS Shao Kuan (USS Alaska)
The USS Alaska (CB-1) was the lead ship of the Alaska class of large cruisers (often classified as "battlecruisers" due to their size and firepower) built for the United States Navy during World War II. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1954. As a flagship of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Alaska was renamed the ROCS Shao Kuan after Admiral Shao Kuan of the R.O.C. Navy. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Shao Kuan:
Nuclear Attack Submarine: ROCS Sian Kwan
The ROCS Sian Kwan was the first-ever nuclear attack submarine of the R.O.C. Navy. It was commissioned on the 3rd of August 1973. It is very similar to the USS Narwhal. Here are its specifications:
Service Rifle: Type 59 Rifle (License produced Colt M16A1)
The Type 59 is a variant of the M16A1 rifle that was adopted by the R.O.C. Armed Forces in January 1970. Here are the specifications for the Type 59:
- Select-Fire
- License-produced variant of the Colt M16A1
- Caliber: .223 Remington / 5.56x45mm NATO
- Action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, direct-impingement
- Length: 39.5 inches (1,003 mm)
- Barrel length: 20 inches (508 mm)
- Weight: 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) unloaded
- Effective range: 500 meters (550 yards)
- Rate of fire: 700–950 rounds/min cyclic (average ROF of 800 rounds/min)
- Feed system: 20 or 30-round detachable box magazine
- Manufacturers: Canton Arsenal, Hanyang Arsenal, Taiyuan Arsenal, Gongxian Arsenal
Main Battle Tank: Type 60 Main Battle Tank
The Type 60 Main Battle Tank is an indigenously designed Chinese main battle tank that was adopted by the R.O.C. Armed Forces in early 1971. Here are the specifications for the Type 60 Main Battle Tank:
- Main armament: L11A5 120mm rifled gun
- Secondary armaments: .50 caliber M85 machine gun and 7.92 mm M240 machine gun
- Engine: Continental AVDS-1790-2 V12 air-cooled diesel engine, 750 hp
- Transmission: Allison CD-850-6/CD-850-6A cross-drive transmission
- Suspension: Torsion bar
- Speed: 30 mph (48 km/h) on road, 12 mph (19 km/h) off-road
- Range: 300 miles (480 km)
- Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
- Weight: 53.68 tons (48.7 tonnes)
- Length: 34.45 feet (10.5 meters)
- Width: 11 feet 11.7 inches (3.65 meters)
- Height: 10 feet 2.4 inches (3.11 meters)
Although supposedly indigenously designed, the Type 60 Main Battle Tank was more or less an M60A1 armed with an L11A5 120mm rifled gun. This was because the R.O.C. Ministry of National Defense had prioritized the R.O.C. Navy's and R.O.C. Air Force's important projects over other projects. However, the Soviet T-64 appearing at the Sino-Soviet border meant a solution was needed to counter and effectively combat the T-64. Therefore, the easiest solution was to produce an M60A1-like tank equipped with a powerful L11A5 120mm rifled gun.
Most powerful vessels of the R.O.C. Navy:
Flagship: ROCS Kai Shek (USS Bunker Hill)
The USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1957. As a flagship of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Bunker Hill was renamed the ROCS Kai Shek after the then-president of the Republic of China, President Chiang Kai Shek. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Kai Shek:
- Class and type: Essex-class aircraft carrier
- Home port: Shanghai Naval Base
- Displacement: Approximately 27,100 tons (standard), 36,380 tons (full load)
- Length: 888 feet 6 inches (270.7 m)
- Beam: 93 feet (28.3 m)
- Draft: 28 feet 7 inches (8.7 m)
- Speed: 33 knots (61 km/h)
- Complement: About 2,600 officers and enlisted
- Aircraft capacity:
- Maximum of around 90-100 aircraft
- Typically carried a mix of fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft
- Armament:
- 4 × twin 5-inch/38 caliber guns
- 4 × single 5-inch/38 caliber guns
- 8 × quadruple 40 mm Bofors guns
- 46 × single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
- Armor:
- Belt: 4 inches (102 mm)
- Deck: 2.5 inches (64 mm)
- Bulkheads: 4 inches (102 mm)
- Propulsion:
- 8 × boilers
- 4 × Westinghouse geared steam turbines
- 4 × shafts
- 150,000 shaft horsepower (110 MW)
Aircraft Carrier: ROCS Guan Xiong (USS Essex)
The USS Essex (CV-9) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1957. As an aircraft carrier of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Essex was renamed the ROCS Guan Xiong after the first Minister of Navy of the ROC, Admiral Liu Guan Xiong. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Guan Xiong:
- Class and type: Essex-class aircraft carrier
- Home port: Fujian Naval Base
- Displacement: Approximately 27,100 tons (standard), 36,380 tons (full load)
- Length: 888 feet 6 inches (270.7 m)
- Beam: 93 feet (28.3 m)
- Draft: 28 feet 7 inches (8.7 m)
- Speed: 33 knots (61 km/h)
- Complement: About 2,600 officers and enlisted
- Aircraft capacity:
- Maximum of around 90-100 aircraft
- Typically carried a mix of fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft
- Armament:
- 4 × twin 5-inch/38 caliber guns
- 4 × single 5-inch/38 caliber guns
- 8 × quadruple 40 mm Bofors guns
- 46 × single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons
- Armor:
- Belt: 4 inches (102 mm)
- Deck: 2.5 inches (64 mm)
- Bulkheads: 4 inches (102 mm)
- Propulsion:
- 8 × boilers
- 4 × Westinghouse geared steam turbines
- 4 × shafts
- 150,000 shaft horsepower (110 MW)
Aircraft carrier that is still being constructed: ROCS Ching Kuo
Flagship (Ceremonial): ROCS Shao Kuan (USS Alaska)
The USS Alaska (CB-1) was the lead ship of the Alaska class of large cruisers (often classified as "battlecruisers" due to their size and firepower) built for the United States Navy during World War II. Eventually, it was sold and transferred to the R.O.C. Navy in 1954. As a flagship of the R.O.C. Navy, the USS Alaska was renamed the ROCS Shao Kuan after Admiral Shao Kuan of the R.O.C. Navy. Here are some specifications for the ROCS Shao Kuan:
- Class and type: Alaska-class large cruiser
- Home port: Fujian Naval Base
- Displacement:
- Standard: 27,000 tons
- Full load: 34,253 tons
- Length: 808 feet 6 inches (246.5 m)
- Beam: 91 feet 1 inch (27.8 m)
- Draft: 31 feet 10 inches (9.7 m)
- Speed: 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
- Complement: 1,517 officers and enlisted
- Armor:
- Belt: 9 inches (229 mm)
- Bulkheads: 6.5 inches (165 mm)
- Barbettes: 12.8 inches (325 mm)
- Turrets: 12.8 inches (325 mm)
- Deck: 4 inches (102 mm)
- Armament:
- 9 × 12-inch (305 mm)/50 caliber Mark 8 guns (3 × 3)
- 12 × 5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber dual-purpose guns (6 × 2)
- 56 × 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (14 × 4)
- 34 × 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons (17 × 2)
- Aircraft carried:
- 4 × floatplanes
- 2 × catapults
Nuclear Attack Submarine: ROCS Sian Kwan
The ROCS Sian Kwan was the first-ever nuclear attack submarine of the R.O.C. Navy. It was commissioned on the 3rd of August 1973. It is very similar to the USS Narwhal. Here are its specifications:
- Class: Sian Kwan-class submarine
- Home port: Shanghai Naval Base
- Displacement: Approximately 3,900 tons surfaced, 4,800 tons submerged
- Length: 322 feet (98 m)
- Beam: 27 feet (8.2 m)
- Draft: 18 feet (5.5 m)
- Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h) surfaced, 25 knots (46 km/h) submerged
- Complement: 10 officers, 80 enlisted
- Propulsion:
- Diesel-electric
- 4 × Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines
- 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors
- Armament:
- 8 × 21-inch torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern)
- 24 torpedoes (a mix of Mark 14 and Mark 18 torpedoes)
- Optionally, Harpoon anti-ship missiles or Tomahawk cruise missiles
- Sensors:
- BPS-15 surface search radar
- STIR-180 fire control radar
- AN/BQQ-5 sonar suite
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