THE NEW CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER
They just launched this one and have two more building in Shanghai.
Posted on 08/18/2011 3:32:13 PM PDT by bananaman22
Aside from cost, the major problem for oil importing countries is getting the purchases safely home. Essentially, there are only two options – pipelines and maritime transport.
Both are vulnerable to attack and this is increasingly preoccupying Chinese leaders, especially as, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's dependence on imported oil rose to 55.2 percent for the first five months of 2011, surging to 9.61 million barrels per day.
What to do to secure uninterrupted supplies of ‘black gold?”
Negotiate.
In a development with significant implications for the Pentagon’s professed “full spectrum dominance,” (i.e., quash all military opposition) the Hindustan Times reported that Beijing is cautiously sounding out India about the possibility of joint naval patrols in the Indian Ocean to safeguard tanker traffic.
An official of China’s Development Research Centre under the State Council, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The Indian government should take the initiative to propose a cooperation mechanism on sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean.’’ Realizing the contentiousness of such a proposal with immense understatement the bureaucrat added, “China cannot initiate such a proposal. The U.S. and Japan will not support China’s move” before concluding, China has to protect its ships on its own. The US is not an ally. India is not an ally.”
Actually, China has had an intermittent naval presence in the Indian Ocean since December 2008, when it sent three warships to liaise with the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), set up after the 11 September attacks to patrol the Arabian Sea and the coast of Africa to combat terrorism. Under command of the fleet's flagship DDG-169 Wuhuan destroyer, the task force of two destroyers and one supply ship arrived in waters off the Somali coast in order to provide security for Chinese merchantmen, as of the 1,265 Chinese merchant ships transiting the Gulf of Aden in 2009, seven were attacked by pirates.
Indo-Chinese naval cooperation is not as far-fetched an idea as it might appear on the surface. Nine months after the Chinese flotilla began operations off Somalia Indian National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said, “Is it not time that we began a discussion among concerned states of a maritime system minimizing the risks of interstate conflict and neutralizing threats from pirates, smugglers, terrorists,” calling for discussions among “Asian states” and other powers on the issue. Full article at: Joint Chinese-Indian Oil Tanker Patrols Possible?
They just launched this one and have two more building in Shanghai.
I thought that thing was supposed to be a floating casino. Furthermore, didn’t that carrier come without a drive-train? What kind of experience does China have in making military grade carrier propulsion? Did they just drop in a garden variety freighter diesel?
Nevertheless, so they have a single carrier and zero experience fielding a carrier fleet. What kind of aircraft were they thinking of using on this thing? Don’t carrier aircraft have to be structurally strengthened to handle deck landings and collapsible wings for storage?
It had been reported that they were sold an empty hull. There were no engines, it was towed to China. Chinese had to do a lot of outfitting; but they saved a lot of time on the hull design which is not particularly simple. The rest could be done in parallel, by hundreds of teams working on anything from engines to radars.
Did they just drop in a garden variety freighter diesel?
I don't know; but that wouldn't be a bad idea if nothing else is available.
What kind of aircraft were they thinking of using on this thing?
Don’t carrier aircraft have to be structurally strengthened to handle deck landings and collapsible wings for storage?
The Su-33 is that thing (it folds wings *and* the tail,) and J-15 is based on Su-33.
By 2015 or 1026, they will have three carriers launched.
They have developed their own modernized version of the SU-33, which they developed from their licence produced J-11 aircraft. They call it the J-15.
This is the fighter they will use.
They have a long ways to go...but they are pulling out all the stops to get there.
They have developed the UNREP capabilities and vessels, the fleet defense, AEGIS-like destroyers, the modern, multi-mission frigates, and a newer class SSN which will escort the carriers.
See my site where I have been tracking the PLAN buildup for the last 8 years.
There is a full page/site there about the Varyag and their long refit of her.
Both the Indians and the Chinese will not be politically correct with the pirates.
As designed for the Soviets it would have had 4 50000SHP steam turbines.
Even if the Chinese didn't plan on any major alteration, at the time they were refitting the carrier they were still building the Type51C destroyer with 2 36000SHP turbines.
Even if they only managed to get 40-45,0000 out of the carrier plant that should be good for at least 28-29kts
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