China Says Carrier Won't Alter Naval Strategy (Be Used for "Research, Experiments and Training")

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 228, 2011 | Jeremy Page

[lbryce]

China's Defense Ministry said its first aircraft carrier would be used for "research, experiments and training" and would not affect its defensive naval strategy, in an apparent attempt to ease regional concerns that the vessel could be used to enforce Chinese territorial claims.

Senior Col. Geng Yansheng, a Defense Ministry spokesman, also confirmed for the first time that Chinese pilots were training to operate from the carrier, which is based on an empty hull bought from Ukraine, and which is due to start sea trials this summer. But he said it would take a long time to become fully operational.

"Building an aircraft carrier is extremely complex and at present we are using a scrapped aircraft carrier platform to carry out refurbishment for the purposes of technological research, experiments and training," Col. Geng said, according to a Chinese transcript of a monthly Defense Ministry news conference published on its web site.

Asked about media reports that the vessel would be launched on Aug. 1, China's Army Day, he said: "There is not a question of when this ship is launched, because it has been in the water all along. As for the precise timetable for the ship beginning sea trials, it will be decided according to the schedule of the refurbishment project."

He also dismissed a question suggesting that China's sudden relative openness about the carrier was linked to recent tensions in the South China Sea, where China has conflicting territorial claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei, and has warned the U.S. to stop reconnaissance operations.

[roadcat]

My guess they will load it up with Helicopters and use it in their invasion of Taiwan. That kind of operation they could handle.

The Japanese must be secretly laughing at the Chinese. Don't the Japanese already have three aircraft carriers, currently used for helicopters but easily converted for jet aircraft? And the Chinese can't build one from scratch. Pathetic.

[rmlew]

There is a big difference between a a 14,000 ton light carrier (I mean helicopter destroyer) and a 50,000 ton carrier. The Japanese helicopter destroyers may or may not be able to operate aircraft they don’t have like the JSF or Harrier.

[lentulusgracchus]

There is a big difference between a a 14,000 ton light carrier (I mean helicopter destroyer) .....

That was the displacement of USS Wasp and USS Ranger. Both were sunk in action against the Japanese.

Last I heard, the Japanese were still operating the F-4J Phantom II in some capacity. Phantoms failed to intercept Captain Belenko's MiG-25, but I think they'd still be competitive with the J-7's and J-8's the Chinese employ in profusion; it was a J-8 that collided with that EP-3 in 2001.

[roadcat]

Actually 43,000 ton carrier. But yes, a difference between 14K ton and 43K ton ships. The Japanese carriers are called destroyers because their constitution forbids them to have “carriers”. But they’re carriers, and they can handle fixed wing aircraft like Harriers, if the Japanese want them to. And they have them now. With 18k ton carriers joining them soon. Point is, the Chinese have a lot of catching up to do. They are a paper tiger at the moment.

[MasterGunner01]

To his credit, Belenko made a good life for himself as an aerospace engineer. He married and had one child. He's since divorced. He successfully resisted the siren song of the KGB and ex-wife in the USSR to come back. Many Soviet defectors did not or could not adjust to life in the West and returned.

[rmlew]

That was the displacement of USS Wasp and USS Ranger. Both were sunk in action against the Japanese.

Yes, no and no. The first carrier to bear the name USS Wasp, CV-7, displaced about 14,000 as a downsized Yorktown class carrier. She was sunk by a Japanese submarine off Guadalcanal. USS Ranger served in the Atlantic for the entire war. I don't believe she ever faced the Japanese. The second carrier named USS Wasp (CV-18) was an Essex Class fleet carrier, and also served in the Pacific. She weighed about 28,000 tons. The current USS Wasp LHD-1, is a Marine carrier, weighing 41,000 tons. I believe that the F-35B is being tested aboard her now.

The Independence class CVLs (modified light cruisers) weighed 11,000 tons. The Saipan class (modified heavy creuisers) light aircraft carriers, weight 14,000 tons.

Last I heard, the Japanese were still operating the F-4J Phantom II in some capacity. Phantoms failed to intercept Captain Belenko's MiG-25, but I think they'd still be competitive with the J-7's and J-8's the Chinese employ in profusion; it was a J-8 that collided with that EP-3 in 2001.
The Japanese are phasing these out. Currently, they are looking for a plane to replace these. I believe the contenders are the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-15 Silent Eagle and the F-18E. They really wanted the F-22, but we chose not to sell those.