Posted on 12/31/2015 4:08:20 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
BEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - After months of speculation, China confirmed on Thursday it is building a second aircraft carrier to go with an existing one bought second-hand, as neighbours worry about Beijing's new assertiveness to claims in the South China Sea.
Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the carrier had been designed in China and was being built in the port of Dalian. Foreign military analysts and Chinese media have for months published satellite images, photographs and news stories purporting to show the second carrier's development.
"China has a long coast line and a vast maritime area under our jurisdiction. To safeguard our maritime sovereignty, interests and rights is the sacred mission of the Chinese armed forces," Yang said.
The design draws on experiences from the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, bought from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China, Yang said.
Yang said the conventionally powered carrier has a displacement of 50,000 tonnes, will be able to operate the Shenyang J-15 fighter and, unlike the 60,000-tonne Liaoning, have a ski-jump take-off.
Little is known about China's aircraft carrier programme, which is a state secret.
Yang would not say when the second carrier would enter service, saying it depended on progress in the design process.
A Shanghai-based naval expert who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter said tensions in the South China Sea made the carrier particularly necessary to furthering Chinese interests.
"The U.S. has many aircraft carriers that are traveling all over the place in the South China Sea, which has caused problems for us," he said. "Having a second aircraft carrier reduces the pressure on us. It will keep us from being bullied."
(Excerpt) Read more at trust.org ...

The Liaoning
Russia builds, builds, builds...
Iran builds, builds, builds...
North Korea builds, builds, builds...
ISIS Russia builds, builds, builds...
Obama’s America cuts, cuts, cuts... Pearl Harbor 2 coming up.
neither has an ability to project in spite of the building.
Russia is building to have jobs and stave off economic catastrophe.
China is building or trying to build an Navy that it never had.
I completely agree.
Trump is 100% correct about this. And “American” companies are a huge part of the problem.
No national loyalty, whatsoever.
***
China is emerging as a power to be reckoned with.
The US is at December 6th 1941.
Two words: Tomahawk Magnet.
Agreed.
Actually, by December 6, 1941 the US was already a year into military buildup, which would soon begin to flood the Pacific with US naval ships.
By late 1941, US defense spending had already risen from 1940's 2% of GDP to 6% in 1941, and was on its way toward 16% in 1942, and nearly 40% in 1944.
Today's US military budget has declined from roughly 5% of GDP five years ago to now 3%.
Meantime, Russia's spending is rising from under 3% to now 4.5%.
China is said to spend only 2% of GDP on its military, a number impossible to believe.
Bottom line: US military spending is closer to 1940 levels than to those on December 7, 1941.
source here, note numbers inflated to include some non-military
You stated: Bottom line: US military spending is closer to 1940 levels than to those on December 7, 1941”.
AM I to take comfort in those 1940 spending on Defense????
Now you’ve scared me even worse :)
Driven to succeed.
Driven to win.
United.
Ready to make sacrifices.
Had the power of a leader (FDR).
Had the vision to see beyond the self, the individual.
Plain, common sense thinking.
Know the enemy and what he wants.
Willing to go the whole 9 yards.
Today????
Exactly my point.
By December 6, 1941 Americans knew something was up, the whole world was on fire, and we sure-as-h*ll didn't want to get into it, but we had to be ready, so Congress was already moving in that direction.
The battle ships, aircraft carriers, Liberty ships, P-40s and Grant tanks which would help win the war were already in production.
Today's military budget reflects more of a "peace at all costs" attitude, which is not really what we had in 1941.
Can’t see the image...





This one will be a slight improvement over the Liaoning, CV-16, which is the Russian design that they bought and refurbished. This means it may have a slightly smaller and improved island, larger hanger spaces, perhaps improved propulsion, etc. But it will be the same basic STOBAR design with a ski-jump.
Here are some pictures of recent exercises with the Liaoning, including the last showing her in the South China Sea with her entire strike group.




See the following site for a more detailed look at exercises they are performing with it now.

I have been following this since 2002. See my Rising Sea Draogn in Asia Site for a full review over the years.
The will build a third and then a fourth at least, and those will be more traditional CATOBAR carriers with catapults, and they may build a total of six carriers. They have been building the excport vessels, the AOR vessels, the aircraft, the nuclear attack submarines, etc. to go with them.
We dare not underestimate them.
Although they are not likely in the near to mid term to be able to challenge us overall...they are building a concentration of force in the Western PAcific that could challenge us on a sopt basis near their coast lines and extending out to the second island chain.
Every high value weapons system has a low cost weapon designed to take it out. An 1 million dollar mislle can take down a multi multi million buck F-22. A TOW rocket can destroy a M-1 Tank. A fifty cent buller can kill a soldier. But somehow since the enemy MAY have a weapon that can strike a carrier we should get rod of them? We sure you aren't a Communist agent?
Suck it.
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