Aircraft Carriers II (Closed to posting)

Re: Does india really need aircraft carriers

Jeff Head said:

Yes, I have read the same report. THis means that IAC2 will also be delayed.

So the Virkamaditya and the Viraat will be working together for longer than expected.

On a brighter note, the Vikram did do it's first honest aircraft trap of a Mig-29K aboard during its current trials.

1st Mig-29K Trap aboard the Vikramaditya​

The Indian Vikramaditya will field an airwing and be training and then operational with it before the PLAN carrier, IMHO. The Mig-=29Ks are already available in production numbers, the Indians are already training with them, and the Vikramaditya is already being qualified with them.

The Indians will start their training themselves soon after the turn-over in December.

The PLAN carrier still does not have production run J-15s for the carrier and I am not sure when low volume production of that aircraft will begin. You can be sure that the PLAN is pushing for it to begin yesterday.

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IAC 2 is only in its designing phase, which I believe might be based either on the Kuznetsov class or even the QE2 class. For the new carrier, they will probably make use of the reactors (or scaled up version) that have been developed for the Arihant class of N-sub. IAC-2 work is not going to start before 2018 for sure.

Nice to see your site. But regarding the MiG-29K first trap on the deck, I'd like to point out that the time period you mentioned is, incorrect.

The INS Virkamaditya continues with her builder's sea trails off the Russian coast. She began aircraft qualification and landing tests in late July, 2012. The first trap on deck by a Mig-29K came in early August 2012. and is scheduled to be handed over to the Indian Navy in December of 2012.

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The first trap occured on 28th July 2012. The pictures posted by Franklin in Aircraft Carriers thread clearly shows the MiG-29KUB (#204) on the deck along with the MiG-29K (#312) during the fleet display on 29th July 2012.

Below is the google translate of news from Interfax on the first deck landing, I don't have post count to post the links, so here is the translated text.

July 28, 2012 9:56

Moscow. July 28. INTERFAX.RU - Ship MiG-29KUB, intended for delivery to India, first performed on Saturday, landing on the deck of the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Gorshkov". "The crew of the Hero of Russia honored test pilot Colonel Nicholas Diorditsa and test pilot Corporation" MiG "Mikhail Belyaev completed a successful landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier" Admiral Gorshkov ", -" Interfax-AVN, "a source in the military-industrial complex.

He noted that previous pilots made several visits over the ship at different heights, making touching the deck of aircraft carrier.

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The touch n go was carried more than a week before July. Below is press release from Sevmash.

For the first time the fighter’s wheels touched the deck
Monday, 23 July 2012 09:18

Fighter’s wheels touched the deck for the first time.
Momentous event for the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya took place last week. Fighter’s wheels touched the deck for the first time.

MiG-29KUB, piloted by the hero of the Russian Federation, honored test pilot of the RF, Colonel, Nikolay Diorditsa (his colleague, Mikhail Belyaev, the hero of the RF, was present in the office) made a few approaches over the ship at different heights and touched the deck for the first time. “Running” several tens of meters the aircraft took the air.
After that the test pilot of the Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation MiG successfully placed the fighter in a pattern trajectory and touched the deck two times more for another ten minutes.
Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyaev are deemed among the leading test pilots who are supposed to carry out the first landing of the aircraft on board Vikramaditya.

Press Service
JSC PO Sevmash

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Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Russians Discuss Future Carrier Plans, Eyeing India

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » AUGUST 10, 2012View attachment 6730

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Russians Discuss Future Carrier Plans, Eyeing India

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » AUGUST 10, 2012View attachment 6730A MiG-29KUB factory development prototype made a successful landing on the deck of the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier on July 28, according to Russian Aircraft (“MiG”). The Indian carrier is undergoing sea trials in the Barents Sea after modernization and refit from its previous life as a Soviet heavy cruiser. Test pilots Mikhail Belyaev and Nikolai Diorditsa were at the controls for the first landing, and a few days later they performed the first takeoff from the carrier and then made a second successful deck landing.The successful MiG landing and other progress in the open-sea trials of the Vikramaditya have encouraged the Russians to approach the Indian MoD with a proposal to build an all-new aircraft carrier in Russia for the Indian navy. The vessel would be built at the same Sevmash shipyard at Severodvinsk that reworked the Vikramaditya. The new ship, however, would have nuclear or gas-turbine propulsion. The Vikramaditya’s water boilers run on diesel.

The Nevskoye design bureau in St. Petersburg has been working on a next-generation carrier for the Russian navy since 2005. It has already produced several design proposals and submitted them to the Russian navy for assessment. It is believed that the new carrier on offer to India will be based on one of these proposals. Construction would take between seven and 10 years, according to Andrei Diachkov, president of Russia’s United Shipbuilding (OSK). He further stated that OSK is ready to assist India in the indigenous construction of aircraft carriers, through a joint venture being established between Russian and Indian shipbuilders.

However, a high-ranking source in the Russian navy said that that service wants a ship “a lot more advanced than the one on offer” from Nevskoye. The Russian navy’s “dream” carrier would be armed with advanced self-defense systems able to intercept high-flying targets, including low-orbiting satellites. It should also have “underwater capability,” the source said, hinting at the ability of the carrier to carry advanced manned or unmanned submersible vessels. The navy expects the Nevskoye design house to complete the draft design of an advanced ship in 2014, then issue production documentation in time for Sevmash to begin construction in 2020.

In late July, newly appointed Russian navy commander Admiral Victor Chirkov confirmed that “money [to prepare] for the construction of such ships has been allocated.” However, he also said then that the current Russian Armament Program 2011-2020 does not include the construction of such ships and that a decision on the program has not been made yet. By 2020, he added, the MoD will be spending its money on construction of smaller-displacement ships and modernization of older nuclear-powered cruisers.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

it seems that the russians are giving attention to aircraft carriers again. Nikta facility in ukraine is getting revised. I wonder if russia intends for india to use the facility.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Here is a new pic on the Vikramaditya where there seems to be a fuel truck on the deck just like on the ex-Varyag.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Fuel truck.. humm? I once saw a photo of the RU CV Admiral Kuznetsov with a fuel truck on an aircraft elevator. You have to wonder//is there an aviation fueling system aboard this class of CV??

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

bd popeye said:

Fuel truck.. humm? I once saw a photo of the RU CV Admiral Kuznetsov with a fuel truck on an aircraft elevator. You have to wonder//is there an aviation fueling system aboard this class of CV??

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Maybe it is easier to have mobile fueling systems (?), so that the "fueling station" can go to the aircrafts rather than towing the aircraft to the stationary fueling station. And it might also free-up dedicated under deck spaces that otherwise might be needed.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

bd popeye said:

Fuel truck.. humm? I once saw a photo of the RU CV Admiral Kuznetsov with a fuel truck on an aircraft elevator. You have to wonder//is there an aviation fueling system aboard this class of CV??

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Maybe it is easier to have mobile fueling stations (?), so that the fueling station can go to the aircrafts rather than towing the aircraft, on the already limited deck, to the stationary fueling station. And it might also free-up dedicated under deck spaces that otherwise might be needed.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Bose said:

Maybe it is easier to have mobile fueling stations (?), so that the fueling station can go to the aircrafts rather than towing the aircraft, on the already limited deck, to the stationary fueling station. And it might also free-up dedicated under deck spaces that otherwise might be needed.

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Yeah...but to solve that problem, just get a longer hose or connect it with another one.

Re: PLAN Carrier Operations..News, Videos & Photos

Bose said:

Maybe it is easier to have mobile fueling stations (?), so that the fueling station can go to the aircraft rather than towing the aircraft, on the already limited deck, to the stationary fueling station. And it might also free-up dedicated under deck spaces that otherwise might be needed.

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That depends on how many aircraft are being refueled. The USN has been using fueling stations for decades and specially trained crews to fuel the aircraft. Aviation Boatswain's Mate(Fuel) The hoses are simply pulled out and the aircraft is fueled. there are many fueling stations along the deck edge catwalk and in the hangar deck along the bulkhreds.. many.

GULF OF THAILAND (Aug. 11, 2011) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) Airman Raymond Burrell, from Orlando, Fla., and Airman Thomas Robertson, from Sarepta, Calif., fuel an EA-6B Prowler assigned to the Gauntlets of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jacob D. Moore/Released)

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Airman Russell Hoyt, aviation boatswain's mate, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Leonel Manzanilla, aviation boatswain's mate (fuel), tug on a refueling hose as they prepare to refuel an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter during flight quarters aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu.

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In this photo ^^^ you can clearly see the fuel truck forward of the Island aboard RU CV Admiral Kuznetsov . There is no way without a proper aviation fueling system that these carriers will ever perfom more than a few..oh 8-10 sorties a day. No way.