Posted on 09/29/2002 2:25:56 PM PDT by pabianice
The Peoples Republic of China is continuing to muscle-up its navy with the acquisition of another ex-Soviet aircraft carrier.
Since early 2000, the PRC has been working to get the ex-Soviet Varyag aircraft carrier through Turkish waters. The Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier -- uncompleted at the time of the Soviet Union's collapse -- had bounced from the Ukraine to the Chin Luck Holdings Company of Hong Kong (rumored to be a front for the Peoples Liberation Army) to, finally, the PRC itself. The two Kuznetsov-class carriers (Varyag and Kuznetsov) displace 67,500 tons and measure just under 1,000 feet. Only the Kuznetsov was completed and actually joined the Russian fleet. They are the first ex-Soviet carriers with conventional take-off and landing aircraft, including the Su-27/33K, MiG-29K, and converted Su-25. The Kuznetsov carries a dozen launchers for SS-N-19 antiship missiles, SA-N-9 and CADS-N-1 air defense complexes, a pair of RBU-12000 ASW mortars, and the Sky Watch 3D radar. The ship's radars include a D/E band air and surface target acquisition radar, an F-band surface search radar, G/H band flight control radar, I-band navigation radar, and four K-band fire control radars for the Kashstan Air Defence Gun/Missile System (supplied by the Instrument Design Bureau and Tulamashzavod JSC in Tula), which provides defense against precision weapons including anti-ship and anti-radar missiles, aircraft and small sea targets. Eight systems are fitted, combining missile launcher, 30mm twin gun and radar/optronic director. The Admiral Kuznetsov was launched in 1985; the intervening political turmoil delayed her formal commissioning until 1991, and she did not become fully operational until 1995.
Full article at
www.navlog.org/
(Excerpt) Read more at navlog.org ...
Win one for the Gipper! God Bless You Reagan, We Will Never Forget Your Great Service and Leadership - We here on FR will carry on your great work with diligence. Thanks for the Memories and Inspiration!
The Admiral Kuznetsov
As is typical with anything relating to the Chinese Military on FR, the post is pretty misleading and provides little info on the sorry state of the Varyag (and gives weapons and equipment listing for the Admiral Kuztnesov..NONE of which is present on the Varyag.)
The Varyag was not only not completed, it sat in a yard UNPROTECTED for YEARS. If you've ever seen a US Mothball fleet...such as the one at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, etc...you'll notice that they're protected and sealed against the elements.The Varyag WAS LEFT OPEN...including aircraft elevators, etc...and has an amazing amount of corrosion and damage.
It would likely take less time to build a completely new carrier and put it in service than to repair the Varyag.
At best, the Varyag may provide ideas on CV design to the PLAAN...but that's like a country that wants to start an auto industry buying a rusted Yugo from a junkyard to study.
cant we just have one of our sources over there just pull the plug in the bottom of the ship and send it to the bottom of the sea :-) ?
Not at all like buying or getting a Yugo IMHO, but certainly still a far cry from the Nimitz class for sure.
In my fictional scenario, the ChiComms faint at us with the building of two conventional carriers in their Shanghai shipyards and then blind side us with asymetrical solutions when things hit the fan.
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