re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft
Real as in not drill/ not exercise, actual combat? That you really have to wait, or you can hope for Japan / Vietnam / Philippines / India piss off China enough to warrant a military response...
He's not talking about war or combat...he's talking about exercises and operations that involve a high enough tempo of activity that they can't keep the decks spotless after every take-off or landing...but will be too busy doing the work of putting away and maintaining one bird in a hurry before the next one comes in and lands or takes off.
That level of operation is what a lot of US LPDs, LHAs, Carriers, DDGs, etc. operate under all of the time. The vessels are all squared away and very, very well maintained, but the flight decks look like they are used a lot because they are...so much so that it is evident.
Perhaps when the PLAN gets more aircraft/helos they will be able to conduct such a level of operations.
This is not an indictment against the PLAN...they are doing a lot of neat things and producing a lot of very nice vessels and equipment. They just have not had that much experience to date with them all, particularly in flight and amphibious ops off of their LPDs. The time will come when they have enough aircraft, LCACs, material and trained people to do so...and I believe Popeye is simply asking to see
that.
I believe it will be a while yet before they do. In the mean time they are doing what they can with what they have...and keeping their vessels pretty spotless in the mean time while doing so. There will come a time, with a much, much higher tempo of operations, when they cannot do that "spotless" thing...and it will not matter or detract from their mission or the way they are viewed as long as they keep all of that equipment well oiled, lubricated, maintained and working properly, and perform professionallly.
