re: PLAN Type 071 LPD & its Landing Craft
wowww the America class is really a mid sized carrier, it seems it would be more powerful than any other carrier in the world (of course outside USN), I'd bet it will be more powerful than HMS Queen Elizabeth or French carrier or Chinese or Russian carrier ... really impressive. But I wouldn't bet to eat my hat though
With a wing or two of F-35Bs it will be very strong. But the new QE and the French Carriers will be stronger. They are both CATOBAR carriers, they both have E-2 Hawkeye AEW, and they carry the longer range and stornger fixed wing aircraft, in this case the F-35C for the UK and the Rafael for the French.
If they ever develop a EV-22 AEW and a tanker version of the same, it will increase the strength of the America, but if you take the America with AEGIS escorts and the UK or French carriers with Horizon type escorts, I am afraid the European carriers will find the America first and be able to launch strikes at her from a longer distance.
Then it will depend on the F-35B as a fleet defense aircraft and the AEGIS to stop the incoming missiles. But if the European carrier can stay out fo the F-35Bs range, they will keep sending aircraft and missiles at her.
Anyhow, the fourth Type 071, "Mountain" vessel is big news for the PLAN.
A.Man said:
The Forth Mountain On Its Way Out
Yes it is. Four of these has significantly...hugely...increaed the PLAN's amphibious capabilities and the ability to put together true PHIBRON groups now for that type of projection at a distance, and with a carrier being developed to provide long distance, projected air defense and strike capabiliities for the troops they land.
