Yaryag undergoing work through 2004 in the Dalian Shipyards
Varyag after movement to another shipyard in 2005
Posted on 08/14/2005 6:00:25 PM PDT by Jeff Head
Is China building a carrier?
By Yihong Chang JDW Correspondent &
Andrew Koch JDW Bureau Chief
Hong Kong & Washington, DC
Chinese shipyard workers have been repairing a badly damaged ex-Russian aircraft carrier and have repainted it with the country's military markings, raising the question once again of whether China is pursuing longer-term plans to field its first carrier.
In the latest developments, images show that workers at the Chinese Dalian Shipyard have repainted the ex-Russian Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag with the markings and colour scheme of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy (PLAN). Additional new photographs show that other work, the specifics of which could not be determined, appears to be continuing and that the condition of the vessel is being improved.
JDW believes that PLAN technicians have also conducted thorough studies of the basic structure of the Varyag during the past few years to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the carrier's structural design. Former PLAN commander General Liu Huaqing stated in his memoirs that China had purchased blueprints for the carrier - a fact that Russian sources confirmed to JDW. Moreover, Gen Huaqing added: "The competent departments of the defence industry employed Russian aircraft carrier designers to come to China and give lectures."
Still, China's ultimate intentions for the Varyag remain unclear. One possibility is that Beijing intends to eventually have it enter into some level of service. A military strategist from a Chinese military university has commented publicly that the Varyag "would be China's first aircraft carrier".
(Excerpt) Read more at janes.com ...
Now, as work continues and the vessel takes on more and more vistage of a ship being worked on and potentially prepared for service, that is all the more obvious.
China is embarked on one of the largest naval military buildups in history. Given the miriad of new vessels they are building, including all of the vessels necessary to comprise a Carrier Battle Group, except the carrier, an operational Chinese carrier group in the China Sea will pose a major upset in the balance of power.
For much more information on the Chinese Naval buildup, see:
For those following the continued PLAN (Red Chinese Navy) buildup...this latest from Jane's on the carrier.
It just seems odd to me that a regime which is basing a new blue water fleet on the submarine, and concentrating on developing and amassing anti-carrier weapons, would bother with an expensive-and in their view, eventually worthless-weapons system like an aircraft carrier.
I acquired this photo at great risk.
Casino ship or not, it still seems like there's alot of gambling involved.
Communist China has Imperialistic ambitions...
That's hilarious.
big whoop.......buying a aircraft carrier dont mean squat until you have experience in sea warfare. Which China DOESNT.
"It just seems odd to me that a regime which is basing a new blue water fleet on the submarine, and concentrating on developing and amassing anti-carrier weapons, would bother with an expensive-and in their view, eventually worthless-weapons system like an aircraft carrier."
A status symbol as well as a capability perhaps? It will really scare me when China has a competent submarine fleet. Until then, they really are limited in projecting their power.
I missed something here... How did it get damaged?
Another Chinese carrier.
The PLA leaders want to look at it that way, but those interested in projecting power beyond the 1st Island chain do not feel that way at all and have clearly influenced the money strings. The Vayrag is just the latest in at least 3 or 4 other older carrier purchases that the Chinese have made. They are studying the issue and the main arguement right now is whether to build their own first one...or to make the fist something like the Vayrag from which they can learn.
In addition, for the last couple of years at least, at internal airfields, they have been practicing SU-27 and SU-30 aircraft take-offs from land based bow jumps...just like on the Vayrag.
My bet is that they will end up doing both.
An aircraft carrier is old war thinking. With modern ASW capabilities widely available, the submarine isn't very much more advanced.
I can't see the Chinese spending all that money on a carrier when they have so many bases around the world to develop--like in Panama and the Bahamas, for instance...
I would suggest that we do not trivialize or underestimate them...a lot of people did the same to the Japanese prior to WWII and it came back to haunt them...and cost a lot of lives to put that genie back in the bottle.
Seems plain as day to me
Agreed...but that is always the case with totalitarian governments that have a history of attacking their neighbors.
Bump to send to Chinese friend.
Per my #13, one would think their resources were better spent on hardening bases. That, and submarines, seem to be where their heads are at these days.
SO9
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