Aircraft Carriers II (Closed to posting)

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Jura The idiot

Jura The idiot

General
Jeff Head said:
So, nine VMFA US Marine fighter squadrons, four US Marine VMFAW strike squadrons, and four US Marine electronic warfare squadrons.

That's a total of 17 squadrons...but, for the F-18 sake (and later the F-35B) that's 13 squadrons, of which we see only two currently assigned to carriers. Plenty of reserve there for the carrier force if ever needed.

So, looking a few years down the road, for future US Navy nuclear carriers, once the JSF, the UCAV aircraft, the new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and the new Osprey cargo aircraft are deployed I see the following

2 x Superhornet F/A-18E Squardons (24 aircraft)
1 x Superhornet F/A-18F Squadron (12 aircraft)
1 x Lightning II F-35C Squadron (Navy or Marine F-35B) (16 aircraft)
1 x UCAV X-47B Squadron (6 aircraft)
1 x Growler EA-18G Squadron (5 Aircraft)
1 x Hawkeye E-2D Squadron (4 aircraft)
2 x Seahawk SAR/ASW Squadrons (MH-60 and/or HH-60) (10 Aircraft)
1 x Osprey V-22 Cargo Squadron (2 Aircraft)

This would call for 79 aircraft per carrier and give an unbelievably capable and flexible airwing.
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I just stumbled upon this:
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and wonder when there'll be only Lightning II strike aircraft on US Navy carriers; what's the plan anyway?
 
D

delft

Brigadier
There was recently a remark on the age of the Flanker pilots aboard Adm K. Might it be that all these pilots are pilot instructors of which enough need to be available to restart operations after an upgrade of the ship lasting several years while no other flattop is available to maintain proficiency.
I read some time ago ( Marine Forum Daily News ? ) that Adm K will be upgraded not beginning this year but from 2018. Might some slots be made available for Russian pilots on a Chinese flattop? That seems somewhat early in the development of China's flattops.
 
D

delft

Brigadier
Jeff Head said:
Yes, we reported on the INS Vilkrant's (IAC1) initial launch here and on the Indian news thread last year in August

She is undergoing further build and outfitting and will be launched again probably in 2015 for final outfitting, for sea trials starting in 2016, and then ultimate induction into the Indian Navy in the 2018 time frame. She will displace about 40,000 tons and carry 30 aircraft.
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Jeff,
The Navy Recognition item said sea trials will be starting in 2018. That's again some year and a half later. That would mean induction in the Indian Navy about 2020, at the same time as the first Chinese build flattop.
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

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Registered Member
delft said:
Jeff,
The Navy Recognition item said sea trials will be starting in 2018. That's again some year and a half later. That would mean induction in the Indian Navy about 2020, at the same time as the first Chinese build flattop.
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I guess we will see when they actually do it.

Given the way that Indian schedules tend to slip...perhaps the 2018 date will be correct anyway.

We shall see.
 
Blitzo

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Jeff Head said:
I guess we will see when they actually do it.

Given the way that Indian schedules tend to slip...perhaps the 2018 date will be correct anyway.

We shall see.
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The key is fitting out subsystems.

Building a hull is fairly easy compared to having all your suppliers be on time and competent and having people that can integrate all the shenanigans into a big, well functioning machine.

Fitting out has traditionally been the longest period for the production cycle of Indian naval vessels. We will see if they can do better with Vikrant.
 
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aksha

Captain
[video=youtube;K3JdEPuMBgs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3JdEPuMBgs[/video]
no blast deflectors shown on vikrant animation .and does the aircraft look like an f-15 instead of mig 29k, some comments on you tube seems to think so
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Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
aksha said:
no blast deflectors shown on vikrant animation .and does the aircraft look like an f-15 instead of mig 29k, some comments on you tube seems to think so
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Some of them early on look like Rafael Ms on deck. But then later, in the hanger and on deck, they look like F-15s with the conformal fuel tanks.

Strange.
 
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