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To: Jeff Head
INS Viraat (R-22) is the ex-HMS Hermes of Falklands Islands War fame. INS Vikramaditya (R-33) is the ex-Admiral Gorshkov of the Russian Navy. Sister ship, ex-Varyag, was sold to China and recommissioned by them as Liaoning. The Indian Navy flies Sea Harrier FRS Mk51 fighter and MiG-29K Fulcrum fighter. The Chinese fly the Shenyang J-15 (a copy of the Russian Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker).

The Russians are refitting the air wing of their carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, due to attrition of their Su-33 fleet. With the Indian Navy's purchase of the MiG-29K for its CVs, it made more sense to refit its CV with the MiG-29K instead of restarting the Su-33 production line.

18 posted on 01/05/2014 6:26:07 PM PST by MasterGunner01
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To: MasterGunner01

The Indians have taken the Hermes and kept her going all these years. They will decommission her in 2014 or 2015 as their new Vikrant comes into service, another CATOBAR carrier...this one of their own design, but very similar to the Italian Cavour.

The Mig-29K is what is saving the Mig factories now. Most builds are going to Sukahoi. The Indians will end up buying at least 45 of these aircraft, and perhaps as many as 70. They are decent, very decent aircraft.

The Chinses J-15 is modeled after the SU-33, but I would not call it a “copy.” The Chinese took a single prototype aircraft (ore-production) they got from the Ukraine and married it to all of the improvements and upgrades they put to their J11B. With a lot of composite structure, new avionics, a glass cockpit, new radars, and new sensors and weapons systems (it will be able to use most of the Chinese air to surface as well as air to air weapons, it is a modernized and improved SU-33. A very capable aircraft that our F-18 and later F-35 pilots will all take very seriously.

Anyhow, I have been keeping very close track of the PLAN for the last 14+ years.

The Rising Sea Dragon in Asia
http://www.jeffhead.com/redseadragon/

Also of all of the current aircraft carriers of the world:

World-wide Aircraft Carriers
http://www.jeffhead.com/worldwideaircraftcarriers/


23 posted on 01/05/2014 10:42:29 PM PST by Jeff Head
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