Type 076 LHD/LHA discussion
- Thread starter banjex
- Start date
As per my previous post - We have no idea.
I would be surprised if J-35 can't operate off Type 076 (I think if guancha folks indicated they can). The question is more of whether you would want it to. Since it is just not really designed for that type of operation. It probably will just be like maybe 6 to 10 UCAVs + a bunch of helicopters.
GJ-11J/GJ-21 is ~22+ton MTOW. J-35 is ~31ton MTOW (complete swags).
Assuming both landing speed in the 160 - 170 knot range (more swags), the back of the ship will experience 50%+ more kinetic energy with each J-35 landing.
so yeah, unless it's designed for it, repeating stress will eventually crack the deck.
However, that being stated, I do still hope that PLAN actually did design 076 for a detachment of J-35 for close air support, assault support, CAP, electronic warfare, etc., and leave the UAVs for the primary LHD missions.
If nothing else, just to be able to counter the Japanese "carrier-that-was-a-destroyer-but-was-never-a-destroyer-in-the-first-place" carrier.
We haven't seen an optical landing system on the 076, have we?
Or ,(forgive my one-liners Mods),as many as PLAN wants to have!!Does this answer your question Mr.CIA/NSA/NIA/DIA?
The structure of the catapult flame plate above Sichuan is exactly the same as that we saw in Fujian, and it can basically be determined to be a complete transplant, which has the ability to eject a manned aircraft with the same weight and size.
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Yes, but that‘s not the point; the question is: Does it make sense to operate manned fighter and AEW aircraft off an assault carrier even more so when there is only one catapult available and its deck geometry limits operational use?
As such, technical possible? = Likely … but operational wise? = I don‘t know but IMO unlikely.
My opinion is to keep the operational capability of manned aircraft to reserve the ability to operate as a "lightning carrier" but still use it as LHA with fixed-wing drones and helicopters in peacetime(The missing auxiliary landing system also proves that it is not suitable for operating conventional carrier-based aircraft.). This is a unique product all over the world, and it is worth observing how PLAN will use it for a long time.