Commentary When it comes to weaponry, there is rarely such a thing as the “big surprise.” In most cases, we know about a new, potentially game-changing weapons system years in advance. Jet fighters were speculated about years before they were actually built. We had rumors and even highly accurate illustrations of stealth aircraft long before they were officially unveiled. And very open research into hypersonic weapons has gone on for decades. In fact, about the only truly secret weapon over the past hundred years was the atomic bomb, originally shrouded in the super-classified Manhattan Project. So, while we might not know the fine details, there are few instances of being caught totally unaware by a new piece of military equipment. Take, for example, China’s efforts to build an aircraft carrier. Admiral Liu Huaqing, the so-called father of the modern PLA Navy (PLAN), was so enamored with carriers that he once …