I guess we can also assume, based on past history, that just like Tirpitz's decades long political struggle to build the HSF, or the similarly long US political back and fro to eventually build the second to none US Navy, a similar political see saw might have happened or be happening in China between those who indeed favour a second to none navy and those with opposite views. But by the nature of China's political system, this process should hopefully be greatly compressed, and hopefully embrace the naval faction's way, so to say. The 2049 objective of such a navy is imo far too distant given current geopolitical tensions and volatility, they need that much sooner, and they can if the political will is there. That's my opinion anyway.
CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Forgive me mods but this is way off topic as my own study of Germany's naval buildup isn't just about tonnage and excellent capital ships but of a sound battle doctrine that capitalizes on one's strengths and minimizes one's weaknesses.For instance had Hitler used the Tirpitz and Bismark together with the Prinz Eugene heavy cruiser and even Graf Spee/Scharnhorst to form a most potent surface battle group what a difference it would have made-instead of losing her fleet piece by piece.China using her carriers shielded behind the world's most potent AnShM's/Irbm's/Hypersonics missiles shows me that her naval thinkers are thinking outside the box and not rehashing WW2 Midway style carrier to carrier battles(which is what USN wants!)
It does look like 2 additional carriers will be built in the 2026-2030 timeframe. One nuclear, one conventional. And split between Dalian and Jiangnan shipyards.
And if relations between the US and China remain bad, then I can see serial production in the 2031-2035 time with another 4 carriers.
So by 2035, it's roughly parity between the US Navy and Chinese Navy, if you look at what else is happening in the Chinese Navy. But to the 2nd Island Chain, there is also the land-based Air Force and Rocket Force, which significantly tips the balance in favour of the Chinese military.
Remember that an aircraft carrier is simply an airbase on a ship.
4 simultaneous carrier construction is a stretch at best, and a pipe dream at worse
Not 4 simultaneously. Jiangnan and Dalian both do a carrier. Then they repeat.
That works out as 4 carriers between 2031-2035.
The US did something similar with the Forrestal-class carriers previously
A carrier takes 3-4 years to go from steel cutting to launch, so even if they do a carrier simultaneously you can at best crank out 2 carriers in the 5-year time frame.
Can we stick to the topic? At least this is the 003 / Fujian thread and not a "future predictions on 004 & beyond"