00X/004 future nuclear CATOBAR carrier thread

[Cloud_Nine_]

Kinda wish the commissioned model, if we give it the benefit of the doubt and believe in its authenticity, is just convenient reuse of Fujian's kit. There're subtle changes to the model compared to Fujian that makes me kinda believe it might be real.
Lengthening Fujian could free up much more space for "the street" and "the sixpack". Plus it could allow Cat 1&2 to cant rightward and be completely out of the way of the landing strip. Even though it doesn't really matter, people can finally stop winning about it. More space might even also enable more power generation for a potential fourth catapult. This might require a more powerful power plant or optimization of hull form but I think it's worth it in the long run. All I am saying is I hope PLAN keeps evolving the conventionally powered CV.

 

[TK3600]

With China’s military I think it’s always better to be on the cautious/conservative side. Chinas main goal is still to protect her immediate interests in her neighborhood. Projecting power outside East Asia/SCS is something that might be thought of or changed in future.

Carrier is a power projection tool. And sometimes best defense is offense.

 

[Maikeru]

Remember the model CVN we saw had pennant number 20:


Wnich left us wondering about CV-19. Now I think the mystery is more or less solved, as per the rumours about a CV (003.1) and CVN (004) being built concurrently.

 

[Cloud_Nine_]

Remember the model CVN we saw had pennant number 20:

View attachment 164165
Wnich left us wondering about CV-19. Now I think the mystery is more or less solved, as per the rumours about a CV (003.1) and CVN (004) being built concurrently.

Rather funny thing should CVN-20 come out before CV-19. This model is giving me hope that these two commissioned models are both still built on legacy Fujian kits (since we've seen evidence for 4 cat CVN already).

 

[Blitzo]

Remember the model CVN we saw had pennant number 20:

View attachment 164165
Wnich left us wondering about CV-19. Now I think the mystery is more or less solved, as per the rumours about a CV (003.1) and CVN (004) being built concurrently.

There was also this art which was posted a few years ago by one of JNCX's social media handles, which depicted a larger carrier that looks consistent with a CVN, with pennant number 20.

Of course, we are expecting DL to be building the first CVN, so this image may be generic and meant for the overall Chinese shipbuilding industry rather than JN specifically.

But I do think it is perhaps a reasonable hypothesis that the pennant number 19 will go to a CV that JN is going to build, and 20 to a CVN that DL is going to build (or even actively building depending on how that ship in their drydock shapes up).
It may be that CV-19 ends up being visually confirmed later than CVN-20, but that CV-19 actually enters service earlier than CVN-20 by virtue of CVN-20 being a (presumably) a larger and more complex ship that is nuclear powered and all.

 

[00CuriousObserver]

Shilao in his Guancha article:

The commissioning of Fujian marks a successful step up in China’s carrier technology and lays the groundwork for building more—and better—aircraft carriers. Thanks to its advanced technologies and sheer scale, Fujian has already surpassed the former USS John F. Kennedy of its day and is now the most advanced and most capable conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the world. Next, whether it is building an even more advanced conventionally powered carrier, adopting nuclear propulsion to achieve virtually unlimited endurance, or breaking through the “glass ceiling” of U.S.-style carrier design to enter a freer realm of carrier design—all of these will soon become new goals we can expect to see in the near future.

福建舰的服役让中国海军的航母技术成功地迈上了一个新台阶，也为中国海军继续建造更多更好的航空母舰打下了基础。依靠先进的技术和巨大的规模，福建舰目前已经超越了当年的“肯尼迪”号航母，成为人类最先进，战斗力也最强的常规动力航空母舰，而下一步，无论是建造更加先进的常规动力航母，还是使用核动力实现无限动力，乃至突破美式航母设计的玻璃天花板，走向航空母舰设计的自由王国，都将成为不远的未来我们能看到的新目标。

 

[Blitzo]

Shilao in his Guancha article:

The commissioning of Fujian marks a successful step up in China’s carrier technology and lays the groundwork for building more—and better—aircraft carriers. Thanks to its advanced technologies and sheer scale, Fujian has already surpassed the former USS John F. Kennedy of its day and is now the most advanced and most capable conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the world. Next, whether it is building an even more advanced conventionally powered carrier, adopting nuclear propulsion to achieve virtually unlimited endurance, or breaking through the “glass ceiling” of U.S.-style carrier design to enter a freer realm of carrier design—all of these will soon become new goals we can expect to see in the near future.

I assume the reference to USS JFK is because it was the last conventionally powered carrier built by the US.

 

[Temstar]

I assume the reference to USS JFK is because it was the last conventionally powered carrier built by the US.

In one of their streams after the Fujian launch and recovery video came out Shilao talked about design studies PLAN did that were "freed" (his exact words) from the mind frame of both Soviet and US carrier designs. He had one example which was "how would we design a supercarrier if we never figured out catapult" and IIRC it was a giant 120k ton STOBAR carrier with ramps that had a deck that could launch aircraft with a runway as long as Liaoning/Shandong's rear launch point while still do recovery at the same time.

Perhaps Shilao was thinking along those lines. Something like just because Ford class is 100k tons doesn't mean that is the ideal size for CVN, there may be benefit yet to go even larger.

 

[00CuriousObserver]

Perhaps Shilao was thinking along those lines. Something like just because Ford class is 100k tons doesn't mean that is the ideal size for CVN, there may be benefit yet to go even larger.

120-130k tons CVN, 100k tons CV, or even 60-70k tons dual-island CATOBAR CV.

 

[Blitzo]

In one of their streams after the Fujian launch and recovery video came out Shilao talked about design studies PLAN did that were "freed" (his exact words) from the mind frame of both Soviet and US carrier designs. He had one example which was "how would we design a supercarrier if we never figured out catapult" and IIRC it was a giant 120k ton STOBAR carrier with ramps that had a deck that could launch aircraft with a runway as long as Liaoning/Shandong's rear launch point while still do recovery at the same time.

Perhaps Shilao was thinking along those lines. Something like just because Ford class is 100k tons doesn't mean that is the ideal size for CVN, there may be benefit yet to go even larger.

Uhh yes, but I was talking about why he chose to reference the USS JFK specifically.
I assume meant CV-67, not CVN-79 lol, given he said "former USS JFK of its day", which would make sense because CV-67 was the last conventionally powered carrier the US built, and CV-18 Fujian is of course the PLAN's first CATOBAR carrier which happens to be conventional and of a similar size class to CV-67 and the overall Kitty Hawk class.