Is China building a carrier?

Jane's Defence ^ | 12 August 2005 | Andrew Koch

[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".

Yaryag undergoing work through 2004 in the Dalian Shipyards


Varyag after movement to another shipyard in 2005

[NCC-1701]

That's going to make one heck of an artificial reef after the U S Navy gets through with it.

[mylife]

Very true my friend

[SampleMan]

An aircraft carrier is old war thinking. With modern ASW capabilities widely available, the submarine isn't very much more advanced.

You don't really have any experience with naval warfare do you?

[Jeff Head]

Amen...and with the unbelievable amount of naval shipbuilding going on right now in the Chinese shipyards (see the site I link to in post numer 1 and use the PLAN GROWTH link there), we had best not forget it.

[warchild9]

My PhD is in 1940's-1950's military studies, so I claim no expertise beyond that. However, I believe that our military lays claim to the most advanced missle systems available, and the communists--under the sea or above it--are targets waiting to happen.

[warchild9]

Thank you all for your comments. I have to go.

[Spktyr]

It *could*, but I've read that they really can't add to the fixed wing component too much because of hangar and design limitations. Also, the ski-jump type of launch prohibits takeoffs over a certain weight - which means that bomb loads are limited.

[mercy]

Let em! We have seven.

And when THEY have seven carriers we'll show em the black triangles that hover silently and defy gravity.

[SampleMan]

I know I sound like a broken record on these fora, but their possession of our national debt instruments is a greater threat than any dozen aircraft carriers.

This is only true up to the point of hostilities. At that point we both confiscate each others assets, which means we don't repay the debt. Thus, they have a great deal to lose if we actually go to war. If I were cynical, I'd suggest borrowing heavily from them and then pushing them just as heavily on Taiwan.

[SampleMan]

Kittyhawk
Enterprise
JFK
Nimitz
Washington
Lincoln
Stennis
Teddy Roosevelt
Reagan
Truman
Eisenhower

[SampleMan]

I forgot the Vinson and I think one more.

[PAR35]

Name the active carriers and receive the Golden Citizen Award...

What do you mean by "active"? If you mean in commission, the number would be 12. If you mean able to leave the dock within a month, the number is much smaller.

Nimitz, Vinson, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, Stennis, Truman, Reagan, Kennedy, Enterprise, and Kitty Hawk are probably the 11 you are asking about. Eisenhower is in refueling and overhaul. Kennedy has been targeted for early retirement.

Kitty Hawk, Nimitz and Reagan are the only 3 underway.

[mylife]

Night WC9
I have no doubt we have superior systems
Id like to keep it that way and Id like to keep superior numbers as well but thats not happening.

I can tell you this, I wouldnt want to take on 1000 chinese armed with bows while I was alone with an M16 L0L

They are preparing for war

[samadams2000]

Oh my God..two Golden Citizen patriots in one night! Im almost thinking the republic will survive.

[Teacher317]

What do you think of the speculation that Taiwan will use the 2008 Olympics as an opportunity to declare independence...

or the speculation that the Chinese will act pre-emptively on the presumption that they will?

[samadams2000]

If China invades..I stop buying my socks from Target.

[IndyMac]

I don't understand. What is the threat ... that they'll stop buying our debt? Then, to whom will they export?

[Mad Mammoth]

A few Exocet missiles and the mighty carrier YingYang or whatever they're going to call it goes down to Dae-Vee-Joes locker.

[grey_whiskers]

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.

Jeff, I've lurked some of your stuff and respect your opinion.
How seriously should we take the carrier, given that a REAL ship at sea bobs up-and-down-and-back-and-forth, and a land-based runway does not?

And how well can they coordinate their landings and launchings?

Lotsa logistical and tactical hurdles and lessons to learn before they can touch a US carrier group one-on-one...

No cheers, unfortunately.

PS try reading up on the Avian Flu stuff in China, there are (serious, non tinfoil hat) indications a bioweapon may have got loose, or else naturally occurring gene transfer between Ebola and Avian Flu... (H5N1 is the strain).

Even Less Cheers, Unfortunately!

[Polybius]

......The Chinese have spent the past twenty years studying the old ex-Australian carrier Melbourne

The Australian plans to decommission Melbourne were delayed and it remained inactive till 1985. It was finally towed from Sydney to be broken up in south China. The Chinese showed special interest in equipment such as catapults, arrestor wires and aircraft lifts / elevators. The flight deck was dismantled and put ashore and PLA navy pilots undertook deck landing practices on the removed deck. Melbourne was in existence till as late as 1994.

The demise of the West will be.......its own stupidity.