The People's Liberation Army Navy is expected to be expand its operations in 2015, defense expert Andrew Tate said in London-based Jane's Defence Weekly on Jan. 6.
Tate said that extended operational and training deployments, international naval exercises, humanitarian assistance missions, and naval diplomacy became common practices for the PLA Navy last year. He believes that China's naval operations will go even further. Since China already began using its nuclear-powered attack submarine to patrol the Indian Ocean in 2014, Tate believes PLAN activities in 2015 may include submarine nuclear deterrent patrols.
"A review of Chinese naval activities in 2014 suggests a year of increasing normality, as the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships get deployed on tasks familiar to all major navies," said Tate.
Read the full story at Want China Times