Advancing into the Deep Blue, the third episode of Winning (制胜), turns the camera toward the vast expanse of sea and sky. Four kinds of strength — naval aviation, the Type 055 destroyer Zunyi, the submarine force, and the amphibious assault ship Sichuan — stand above the surface, upon it, and beneath it, answering one and the same question: facing the more complex operating environment of the far seas and open ocean, how does the People's Navy see farther, link tighter, dive deeper, strike more precisely, and sail more steadily? The answer lands on the judgment the program repeats again and again: combat in the far seas is, in essence, a system-of-systems fight.
Episode Three: How Far Can Capability Reach?
Episode One, Where the Banner Points, answers the question of why the army fights; Episode Two, The Molting Path, answers how an army grows stronger; Episode Three pushes the question one step further — how far can capability reach? "The deep blue" has never been merely the color of seawater or a measure of geographic distance: for a navy, advancing into the deep blue means extending perception into the distance, pushing the boundary of firepower outward, following through with sustainment, and keeping command and coordination stable in a more complex environment of sea and air.
Aircraft From Shore Bases to Carrier Decks
In the past, naval aviation conducted maritime missions from shore-based airfields, with flight distance, time on station, and the scope of support all constrained. Now that carrier platforms, carrier-based aviation, and a far-seas support system have taken shape, air power can advance alongside ship formations and maintain a continuous presence in the air across vast spaces far from the land.
A carrier-based aircraft must take off and land on a platform in constant motion, adapting to wind direction, sea state, the rhythm of the deck, and the movement of the formation — while coordinating closely with early-warning command, shipborne radars, maritime air defense, electronic countermeasures, and other forces. What the pilot flies is one aircraft; what stands behind it is an entire maritime system of systems.
The program places the "dogfights" of the past — twisting close-in duels within a hundred meters — side by side with today's beyond-visual-range confrontations under the support of an integrated information-and-firepower system of systems. Modern maritime air combat puts the premium on detecting first, identifying first, deciding first, and striking first: before a target ever enters visual range, the relevant information has already been gathered, assessed, and distributed within the system of systems.
"While the enemy is still searching for us, his coordinates are already locked at the center of our screens."
This advantage comes from the pilot's skill and nerve, and even more from the information advantage the system of systems forms across a wider space. Whoever detects earlier, shares faster, and judges more precisely takes hold of opportunities that pass in a flash. The farther naval aviation flies, the farther outward extends the People's Navy's ability to uphold its maritime rights and interests — every contrail a fighter cuts across the line where sea meets sky marks a new set of coordinates on the far seas.
How Zunyi Became a Node in the System of Systems
The officers and sailors of the Type 055 destroyer Zunyi say that advancing into the deep blue means taking the ten-thousand-ton destroyer and tempering it into a mobile fortress of steel on the far seas. A platform of ten thousand tons possesses formidable capabilities in sensing, command, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface strike — but its more important value lies in merging into the formation, supporting the formation, and protecting the formation: becoming a key node in the operation of the system of systems.
In far-seas operations, the space is vast and the sources of threat diverse, with the surface, the air, the underwater domain, and the electromagnetic spectrum interwoven. No single ship, separated from the support of the system of systems, can easily cope on its own with successive waves of high-intensity threats of many kinds: a radar contact must be fed into the formation's picture at once; an anti-submarine trace must be worked in coordination with shipborne helicopters, other surface ships, and underwater forces; an air-defense engagement requires layered firepower at long, medium, and short range joined in a combined assault.
If air defense and anti-submarine defense cannot hold, forward strike loses its reliable support; if combined strikes cannot land precisely, far-seas operations can hardly generate effective deterrence. The number of platforms and the performance of each matter — but what matters more is the stability of the connections within the system of systems, the coordination among combat units, and the timeliness of command decisions. These determine whether strength can truly converge and produce a "1+1>2" effect.
Zunyi has sailed again and again into the far seas, studying air defense, anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance, early warning, and combined strike in realistic, combat-oriented exercises. The after-action review when training ends is just as important: digging problems out of every set of data, every link, and every time node, turning one success into a capability that can be repeated, and one mistake into the starting point of the next breakthrough.
"Difficulty is nothing to fear; neither is doing something never done before." This spirit answers to the ship's name — Zunyi, where the Chinese revolution made its great turn at a moment of life and death. Today the officers and sailors of Zunyi, on a new Long March at sea, force their way through the dangerous passes of far-seas operations. Only by holding fast can one win the fight; only by winning the fight can one push the barrier of security out toward the far seas.
At 10% Oxygen, the Submarine Chooses the Ambush
For submarines, advancing into the deep blue is the long company of every dive and absolute darkness. Beneath the surface there is no horizon and almost no window onto the outside world; the crew relies on sonar and instrument readings and on deep, unspoken mutual understanding to judge bearing, distance, depth, and threat in a world without sound.
The program recounts one complete case from operations: on the return leg of a mission, a submarine received a coded message, and its captain immediately ordered the return voyage halted, the position changed, and a decision made to push forward into the core of the other side's exercise area. On board, oxygen remained at only 10%; ahead lay a dense anti-submarine screen. The risk was plainly visible — and so was the fleeting window of opportunity. In the end they chose the harder, more valuable option with greater meaning for training: an advance and an ambush, rather than a long-range missile strike.
Less than three hours after reaching the ambush position, the target formation sailed into the pre-set track. Just as reconnaissance and attack preparation were unfolding step by step, the submarine was suddenly struck by danger — a "depth drop," in which depth increases rapidly and water pressure climbs sharply. Recovering from a depth drop demands decisive handling; a covert ambush demands silence carried as far as possible. Two tests, each measured in seconds, converged in the same instant. Within a little over ten seconds, five precise orders — and every sailor's movements landed exactly in place.
Such precision comes from thousands of repetitions in peacetime training, from wordless understanding between stations, and from the whole crew's absolute familiarity with the boundaries of their duties and the rules of their operations. The deep sea leaves no room for trial and error — one valve, one set of parameters, one order can bear on the safety of the whole boat, and can decide whether an operation can remain hidden and seize its chance.
The crew lives for long stretches in a sealed space, bearing high pressure, silence, and uncertainty. What the outside world sees is one submarine diving into the deep; what the officers and sailors inside face is unbroken technical judgment, discipline, and psychological strain. A line in the program states the plainest sense of mission of the submariners:
"Our only fear is that when that day truly comes, our silence will not have been thorough enough, and our blade not sharp enough."
The Unmanned Routes Sichuan Will Open
When Sichuan was commissioned, she drew wide attention as one of the first amphibious assault ships fitted with electromagnetic catapults. Her new propulsion system and electromagnetic catapult installation are aimed at a new track — unmanned warfare in the far seas. The significance goes beyond a platform-level technological upgrade: it points to new changes in the structure of maritime power, in the forms of operations, and in the mechanics of winning.
In the past, amphibious platforms were built mainly around projecting personnel, equipment, and aviation. With the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles, and intelligent mission systems, large platforms are beginning to carry the launch and recovery of unmanned aircraft, the organization of missions, the convergence of information, equipment support, and command and control — letting different kinds of unmanned forces operate continuously in the far seas. The electromagnetic catapult provides a new technical foundation for employing aircraft of different weights and configurations efficiently.
Whether technological advantage can be converted into real combat capability still requires extensive experimentation, the accumulation of data, the making of rules, and the training of personnel. The catapult tests and live-fire launches shown in the program are precisely the process by which new equipment moves from designed capability to mission capability — one catapult run checks equipment state and parameter settings; one live launch checks the command links and the coordination of stations; one fault-handling drill checks how well personnel understand the boundaries of the system.
Sichuan's first receiving crew is very young; many of her sailors came from traditional landing ships and grew up in traditional landing tactics. Facing an entirely new platform, they must relearn their stations and re-understand the relationships between the ship, the aircraft, the unmanned systems, and far-seas missions. Past experience remains precious, but the new mission requires them to break through established understandings on their own initiative, exploring new operating norms and new systems of tactics in practice.
The growth of unmanned warfare does not mean a shrinking of the role of people. The more intelligent the platform and the more complex the system, the higher the demands on commanders and specialists: people must set the mission's objectives, grasp the boundaries of action, read complex situations, and organize the coordination of manned and unmanned forces. The new routes Sichuan opens connect advanced equipment, innovative tactics, and new kinds of talent — and they also connect the People's Navy's active exploration in the face of war.
Commissioning Is Only the Starting Point
Linking the four deep-blue tracks reveals one shared truth about how the People's Navy generates combat capability: equipment entering the force is only the starting point of capability building. Can carrier aircraft take off and land safely and efficiently in complex sea states? Can a ten-thousand-ton destroyer steadily carry multiple types of tasks within a formation? Can a submarine keep its freedom of action through an emergency in the deep? Can a new-type ship organize unmanned warfare in the far seas? All of it must be answered in rigorous training and repeated testing.
The core of realistic training is to test today's preparation against the difficulties the future may bring. In the far seas there are no familiar channels; a complex electromagnetic environment may disrupt the flow of information; shifting sea states affect the movement of ships and aircraft; equipment faults can appear without warning; and the adversary will manufacture surprises on purpose. The closer training comes to reality, the sooner officers and soldiers find the weak links in the system of systems, and the sooner they can form answers before risk truly arrives.
Behind every stirring image in the program lies a mass of foundational work the camera never fully shows: pilots repeating calibration actions again and again, ship stations compressing reaction times over and over, submarine crews practicing emergency handling in cramped compartments, test teams checking parameters line by line. The capability to win is most often formed inside this tedious, exacting, precise repetition.
Training must also complete the leap from individual proficiency to system proficiency: a pilot with solid skills must be able to take in the information of the system of systems and coordinate with the formation; a warship with advanced performance must find its exact place in combined action; an unmanned platform with outstanding performance must be plugged into the complete chain of reconnaissance, command, strike, and support. Drill the unfamiliar into instinct, turn data into standards, turn standards into tactics, fold tactics into the system of systems — this is a vital capability foundation for the People's Navy's advance into the deep blue.
The Historical Ledger of a Sea Without Defense
To understand why the People's Navy must advance into the deep blue, one must look back at modern Chinese history. Many of the major invasions modern China suffered broke in from the sea: great ships and heavy guns crossed the maritime frontier, and military defeat quickly translated into damaged sovereignty, ceded territory, drained wealth, and stunted development. Sea defense therefore carries a special meaning — it guards the coast and the islands, but also political security, the lifelines of the economy, social stability, and the strategic space for national development.
The birth of the People's Navy provided the fundamental force behind ending the Chinese nation's history of having a sea without defense. From near-shore defense to offshore defense, and from offshore defense to far-seas defense, what changes is equipment, reach, and the forms of operations; what runs through all of it is the mission of defending the sea frontier of the motherland, safeguarding national unity, and guaranteeing the peaceful life of the people. The near seas hold the doorstep; the far seas extend the depth of security — together they form the complete system of maritime defense in the new era.
As China continues to develop, its national interests are bound ever more tightly to the ocean: the coastal economic belt, major ports, maritime energy and trade routes, overseas personnel and institutions, marine resources and maritime rights and interests all need stable and reliable security guarantees. Capability in far-seas reach, sustained presence, comprehensive support, and emergency response has become a vital pillar of coordinating development with security.
The phrase "a hundred-year navy" captures the long arc of naval construction. From basic research, overall design, and materials development to equipment supply, construction, trials, commissioning, and training, a class of large warships needs long, steady investment and the successive efforts of generations to form system-level capability. The navy is a quintessentially technology-intensive service: behind one modern warship stand special steels, shipbuilding, power engineering, aerospace, electronic information, precision instruments, artificial intelligence, communications and navigation, and comprehensive support; behind one far-seas formation must also stand satellites, ports, bases, replenishment, medical services, training, and a system of talent. A shortfall in any one key capability can degrade the effectiveness of an entire platform — even an entire formation.
How Great-Power Competition Is Fought at Sea
The great changes unseen in a century are accelerating. The ocean connects the world's principal economic centers, carries global trade, energy transport, data communications, and the movement of people, and is increasingly becoming the space where great-power strategic contest, military-technology competition, and the shaping of international rules intersect. Strategic competition between major powers at sea shows a pronounced system-of-systems character: it unfolds around sea lanes, forward deployment, basing and support, sea-and-air awareness, the deep sea, unmanned and intelligent systems, and alliance coordination.
What far-seas operations now face goes far beyond simple ship-versus-ship contests; it is more often a comprehensive comparison of industrial capacity, technological level, global support, information systems, strategic will, and international influence.
Building a blue-water navy therefore carries important strategic meaning: it extends early warning, protection, deterrence, and emergency response in the direction where national interests reach, giving the country fuller strategic options in complex situations and reducing the risks posed by maritime blockade, disruption of sea lanes, and external military coercion. The People's Navy is at once a strategic, comprehensive, and international service — its far-seas capability serves preparation for war and the fighting of wars, and it also serves maritime escort, the evacuation of stranded personnel, humanitarian relief, international joint exercises, and the security of sea lanes. A responsible major power needs the capability to defend its own legitimate rights and interests, and the capability to provide maritime public-security goods to the international community.
To build a world-class navy in full first demands absolute political loyalty. The space of maritime operations is vast, missions are relatively independent, and conditions are complex and fast-changing; the deeper one goes toward the open sea, the more important it is to keep one's bearing across ten thousand miles — upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces and implementing the system of overall responsibility by the chairman of the Central Military Commission. World-class standing also shows in the level of modernization, in system-of-systems combat capability, and in sustained innovation: only when military theory, organizational form, personnel quality, and weapons and equipment develop in step can technological progress be converted into national capability.
China adheres to the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national defense policy. The more reliable the capability, the firmer the foundation for deterring adventure and reducing miscalculation; the more professional the action, the more solid the contribution to the peace and stability of the region and the world.
The Answer Hidden in the Title
"Advancing" carries active pioneering, rising to meet difficulty, and unbroken breakthrough; "deep blue" marks the far seas and the open ocean, and also the new space in which modern naval capability is generated. It connects the surface, the air, and the depths; it connects traditional combat forces and new-quality combat forces; it also connects the painful memory of modern sea defense, today's practice of strengthening the military, and the strategic mission of the future.
From the national suffering brought by naval gunfire in modern times, to the People's Navy of the new era ranging across ten thousand miles of sea frontier, the arc of China seeking strength through the sea is clear and deep. Every step forward that maritime power takes adds one more measure to the strategic depth of national security, and makes the foundations of peaceful development one degree more solid.
A hundred-year navy gathers the strength of a hundred industries. Behind every takeoff, every distant voyage, every dive, and every catapult test stands the shared support of the nation's industrial, scientific, educational, talent, and organizational systems. The majestic wake of the People's Navy sailing toward the deep blue is a vivid reflection of China's growing comprehensive national strength and the steady advance of Chinese modernization.
Type 052Ds Can Fire the YJ-20 Too
The documentary reveals that the Type 052D can also launch the YJ-20; Tuanzuo (a military-commentary livestreamer) explained on stream why it works: the YJ-20 is a hypersonic missile guided by satellite-aided cooperative guidance ("A launches, B guides") — it does not depend on the ship's own guidance equipment, and as long as a ship has vertical launch cells, it fits. Previously only the Type 055 could fire it; now, with more than thirty Type 052Ds and more than a dozen Type 055s — a carrier formation carrying seven or eight destroyers — a single salvo can send 80 to 100 YJ-20s downrange, with an estimated range of 1,500 kilometers.
The comparison with the U.S. Navy: a Super Hornet carrying the LRASM has an anti-ship reach of 1,100–1,300 kilometers; the F-35C cannot fit the LRASM internally and can only carry it externally — a configuration it dares not use; the NSM it can carry has a range of only 158 kilometers — so a U.S. carrier strike group can conduct anti-ship operations only at ranges of 1,200–1,300 kilometers. The YJ-20 is far faster than subsonic carrier aircraft: it can complete its salvo and slip away before the enemy aircraft reach their launch positions — launched later, arriving first.
Forty Destroyers Against Thirty-Eight Burkes
The documentary gives Zunyi's total annual steaming as 180,000 nautical miles (more than 200 days at sea). Tuanzuo used that figure to compute the ledger for the whole force: more than thirty Type 052Ds, more than a dozen Type 055s, and other destroyers make over sixty in total; with a serviceability rate of at least two-thirds, roughly forty can be brought out at any time. The number of Arleigh Burkes the U.S. Navy can activate within 72 hours is only 38–44, of which at most 12–16 could be gathered in the Western Pacific — in a Western Pacific showdown, destroyer numbers would not fall short of the U.S. Navy's.
He also addressed the navy's long-standing weakness, anti-submarine warfare: in exercises, a Type 055 was ambushed by an opposing-force submarine, and the documentary acknowledges that without solving ASW, the fleet cannot expect to get out. For now, all that can be relied on is the destroyers and the four ASW helicopters aboard the carriers; new answers must wait for the Type 076 to enter service and for ASW drones to come aboard in numbers. On carrier air wings: with the J-15 upgraded and re-equipped, Liaoning and Shandong can serve as "two-thirds of a Nimitz" — the heavy fighter has long endurance, and the electronic-warfare variant carries five pods, one more than the EA-18G — while the KJ-600 and the J-35 are also on their way to shipboard deployment.
Episode One of Winning, Where the Banner Points, treats the spiritual roots (inheritance, courage, loyalty, mission); Episode Two, The Molting Path, treats the army's transformation (six molts); Episode Three, Advancing into the Deep Blue, treats naval capability (four kinds of strength, the system-of-systems fight); Episode Four, Forging the Aerospace Sword, treats the air force's new-quality combat capability (four posts, a five-element generation equation). Together the four episodes form one complete answer: why fight, how to grow stronger, how far capability can reach, and where capability comes from.