CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread

[Deino]

After a longer break finally a new and clearer image of the Type 003 aircraft carrier under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.



But I'm no longer sure if - as suspected by the previous images - there is still a gap between the aft modules or if it is in fact a bridge that allows the workers to cross over the modules.


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[asdf1234]

Well it makes you less dependent on supplies. Yes you have unlimited range. Some modern nuclear reactors can even last 30 years without refueling. Traditional ones required a refueling every 5 years or something like that. You have so much power you can desalinate water easily. So you basically can have all the drinking water and bath water on board you want. And unlike in commercial shipping for cargo you will have thousands of people operating aboard the carrier. You have the crew, and all the support staff for the aircraft. This includes crew, mechanics, you name it. Easily thousands of people. The reactor is compact. You basically don't need the space you would use for fuel tanks. That can instead be used for other things be it cargo or more aircraft.

Right, completely forgot about warships not only being crewed by ten sailors and an optional parrot... the space argument makes much more sense in that light, thanks!

 

[Orthan]

But I'm no longer sure if - as suspected by the previous images - there is still a gap between the aft modules or if it is in fact a bridge that allows the workers to cross over the modules.

I dont think that they are bridges. There is a gap betwen the aft modules. They havent been connected yet.

 

[li450274625]

water length 315m+in total should be no problem, there is a 20m one missing in the front.

 

[Intrepid]

My guess:

after installation of the forward power supply for the two EMALS on the forecastle deck they will move the main section of the hull by 20 meters in direction of the bow. Then the aft power supply for the waist EMALS will be installed through the new createtd 20-meter-gapp and thereafter the rear section will be moved to the remaining hull to complete it with a waterline length of 285 meters (expected length of the flightdeck 315 meters).

What do you think?

That would be a reason for the two gapps.

 

[defenceman]

Hi so how long for 003 to be pushed into the water and after that how long will it take to be operational by standards of Liaoning any one having some info about this will be appreciated
thank you

 

[Totoro]

A year and a half to get launched, two and half years to get commissioned and another year or two before some initial combat capability is reached. So 5 to 6 years altogether. Its fighter wing should have to be ready in 4 to 5 Years.

 

[NeutralWarrior]

Pardon me for my noobness on shipbuilding. Is it just me who thinks the progress on 003 carrier is a tad too slow?

I mean, we are all used to the "China Speed" displayed in 055, 075 and 002 carrier Shandong, but we couldn't see any major progress
after months of work on this 003. Encountered technical issues? Progress stalled?

Any idea how long more can we see the actual shape, or at least a recognizable shape of a flattop carrier?

Thanks all.

After a longer break finally a new and clearer image of the Type 003 aircraft carrier under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.

View attachment 64971View attachment 64972View attachment 64973View attachment 64974View attachment 64975

But I'm no longer sure if - as suspected by the previous images - there is still a gap between the aft modules or if it is in fact a bridge that allows the workers to cross over the modules.
View attachment 64977

(Images via:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

via LKJ86/PDF)

 

[Blitzo]

Pardon me for my noobness on shipbuilding. Is it just me who thinks the progress on 003 carrier is a tad too slow?

I mean, we are all used to the "China Speed" displayed in 055, 075 and 002 carrier Shandong, but we couldn't see any major progress
after months of work on this 003. Encountered technical issues? Progress stalled?

Any idea how long more can we see the actual shape, or at least a recognizable shape of a flattop carrier?

Thanks all.

It seems slower because the method of construction is somewhat more exposed than it was at DL.
At DL the modular method of construction used far smaller modules as the keel came together in drydock over the course of a year or so. But we didn't see the modules themselves get fabricated.

In JN, we saw the super blocks get fabricated and prepositioned in the fabrication area, before suddenly all getting moved over to the drydock a few months ago, where they were then getting assembled together.

So basically it's all about when you start "measuring".
If you measure in terms of the "tonnage of hull assembled in drydock over time," then JN is actually much much faster than DL because they literally went from having zero tons of the ship's hull in drydock, to having virtually all of the ship's keel (up to over the waterline) in the drydock literally within weeks, whereas it took DL over half a year.


As far as construction speed goes, the only fair comparison to 003 is CV-17/002, and I wouldn't be surprised if the overall time from initial serious fabrication to launch for both ships is about similar. That said 003 is a bigger ship than 002 and more complex as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a bit longer.


As far as how long it will take to see the "shape" of a carrier, that will be once they start assembling the hangar and flight deck modules, which depends on when the work in the vital powerplant areas and the current keel blocks are done. We don't currently have a projection for when completion of that will be done.
It might end up progressing at a similar speed to 002 from here onwards, or it might be faster.


So no, I don't think it's a tad too slow at all, cause there's lots of confounding factors all pulling the ship's potential construction speed in both directions.
- new construction method (super blocks), suggests may be faster, but visually more sudden
- JN is arguably more competent shipyard than DL, suggests may be faster
- 003 is more complex and larger ship than 002, suggests may be slower

How do we weigh those things above for an accurate projection? I don't think we really can, down to a level of detail of months.

I personally would be surprised if within a year the hangar level and flight deck level modules had not begun being assembled.


.... lastly I'm not sure how you can call the progress slow to be honest -- this is what the ship looked like just two and a half months ago:

 

[Tam]

It seems slower because the method of construction is somewhat more exposed than it was at DL.
At DL the modular method of construction used far smaller modules as the keel came together in drydock over the course of a year or so. But we didn't see the modules themselves get fabricated.

In JN, we saw the super blocks get fabricated and prepositioned in the fabrication area, before suddenly all getting moved over to the drydock a few months ago, where they were then getting assembled together.

So basically it's all about when you start "measuring".
If you measure in terms of the "tonnage of hull assembled in drydock over time," then JN is actually much much faster than DL because they literally went from having zero tons of the ship's hull in drydock, to having virtually all of the ship's keel (up to over the waterline) in the drydock literally within weeks, whereas it took DL over half a year.


As far as construction speed goes, the only fair comparison to 003 is CV-17/002, and I wouldn't be surprised if the overall time from initial serious fabrication to launch for both ships is about similar. That said 003 is a bigger ship than 002 and more complex as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a bit longer.


As far as how long it will take to see the "shape" of a carrier, that will be once they start assembling the hangar and flight deck modules, which depends on when the work in the vital powerplant areas and the current keel blocks are done. We don't currently have a projection for when completion of that will be done.
It might end up progressing at a similar speed to 002 from here onwards, or it might be faster.


So no, I don't think it's a tad too slow at all, cause there's lots of confounding factors all pulling the ship's potential construction speed in both directions.
- new construction method (super blocks), suggests may be faster, but visually more sudden
- JN is arguably more competent shipyard than DL, suggests may be faster
- 003 is more complex and larger ship than 002, suggests may be slower

How do we weigh those things above for an accurate projection? I don't think we really can, down to a level of detail of months.

I personally would be surprised if within a year the hangar level and flight deck level modules had not begun being assembled.


.... lastly I'm not sure how you can call the progress slow to be honest -- this is what the ship looked like just two and a half months ago:
View attachment 65047

By the way, that's a huge LNG carrier being built left of the aircraft carrier. COSCO logged a new order of three 174,000m3 LNG carriers to serve the Yamal route last July, and might be the same class of ships HDZ has previously delivered. They have a length of 300 meters and 45 meters in beam. Hudong Zhonghua and Jiangnan might be in partnership building these ships under combined CSG banner.