Aircraft carrier plan shows China naval ambitions

Agence France Presse (AFP) ^ | 11/18/2010 | Sebastien Blanc

[lentulusgracchus]

After all they call the Hyuga a destroyer. An 18,000 ton "destroyer" that can operate half a dozen F-35s, strictly for self defense of course.

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.

[lentulusgracchus]

Additionally, the purpose of an aircraft carrier is power projection against hostile opposition. I contend the English, French, Italians, Russians...or any country other than the US and Japan have ever achieved that standard.

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.

[Always Independent]

I thought India has a carrier that they operate russian built migs from.

[sukhoi-30mki]

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.

[Always Independent]

They have the carrier Viraat. I don’t think the MIG-29Ks can deploy from it? They do have a number of Sea Harriers.

[Stonewall Jackson]

The Brazilian carrier Sao Paulo has a squadron of twelve A-4 Skyhawks. While not much use in air-to-air ops, they are still effective strike aircraft.

[sukhoi-30mki]

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.