Posted on 11/18/2010 10:41:06 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Aircraft carrier plan shows China naval ambitions
By Sebastien Blanc (AFP)
BEIJING — The new generation of combat aircraft China proudly showed off at the Zhuhai Air Show in the country's south this week could soon be taking off from a prestigious runway: an aircraft carrier.
Beijing has become increasingly assertive in its ambitions on the high seas -- as demonstrated by recent tensions with old rival Japan -- but still lacks this naval centrepiece.
This looks set to change.
Although it has not officially announced as much, China is working on a carrier and Western experts believe it could be launched as early as next year, though not in a fully operational state.
It is a former Soviet aircraft carrier called the Varyag, currently being refurbished in the port city of Dalian in northeast China.
Rick Fisher, a Chinese military expert at the International Assessment and Strategy Centre in the United States, told AFP the Pentagon estimates China's carrier will start operations by 2015.
"This is a reasonable projection. China could have enough of the carrier air wing flying by that time to start developing carrier operating procedures and fighting tactics," he said.
Fisher said that Chinese leaks to media in Hong Kong and Japan last year indicated that Beijing plans a five-strong carrier fleet, including two nuclear-powered vessels.
Arthur Ding, an expert on the People's Liberation Army, which operates the country's navy, said owning an aircraft carrier is a prestige issue for China, whose 2.3-million-strong military is already the world's largest.
This is particularly so when neighbours -- and rivals -- including Japan and India are already equipped with them, said Ding, of National Chengchi University in Taiwan.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Determining equivalency between current and WW II types is more than a little slippery. In terms of displacement, Hyuga compares with IJNS Hiryu and Soryu and the bantamweight US carrier, USS Wasp, which displaced about 15,000 tons, and the US "fast" cruiser-hulled and -engined CVL's like USS Casablanca (whose assistant nav officer, at commissioning, was a young officer named Gerald R. Ford).
But those carriers all carried 40-50 aircraft each, or a short wing per carrier, with full air wings embarked in the big carriers.
In terms of numbers of aircraft embarked, these smaller carriers and LHA's recall the slow, pokey, merchant-hulled and -engined CVE "jeep" carriers like the "Taffy" carriers jumped by Adm. Kurita off Samar, and the escort carriers that protected late-war convoys from German U-boat wolfpacks.
I don't know where you get that.
The British had tons of experience operating both full-sized and intermediate-sized CV's during the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's, with both propeller-driven and jet aircraft.
The last of their large flattops, HMS Ark Royal and Eagle, operated Rolls-Royce-engined F-4K's as their main embarked type in the 60's and 70's.
I thought India has a carrier that they operate russian built migs from.
Nope-India’s new sea-Migs are currently land-based since the Russians have screwed them on plans to update a retired carrier. It was supposed to be delivered by 2008-that’s likely to happen by 2014.
They have the carrier Viraat. I don’t think the MIG-29Ks can deploy from it? They do have a number of Sea Harriers.
The A-4 Skyhawk is probably about as useful as the Harriers in various navies and would not amount to much against any marginally capable rival.
It would be interesting if the Swedish Gripen-NG wins the Brazilian air force’s fighter competition (it was supposedly favoured by the military brass and industry). The Sea Gripen concept is more appealing since its loaded weight is considerably lower than the Rafale/Super Hornet/Mig-29K.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.