PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)

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drunkmunky

Junior Member
I think the digitization of that information would be very important in a real war time scenario.
the carrier fleet would be able to establish the correct fleet wide parameters for bird deployment and set appropriate defensive or offensive programs immediately via ship to ship communications.
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
bd popeye said:
The reason, as you may know, the US went with one type of airframe ,Hornet, is commonality of parts and maintenance.

By the way each CVN deployed has two C-2 Greyhounds by Grumman aboard. They share many common parts with the E-2 Hawkeye..
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A modern US Navy Carrier Air Wing is made up of numerous squadrons of different aircraft. In the last 15+ years, the US Navy has been moving towards air wings that are as optimized and capable as possible.

The missions of the US Navy carrier air wing are as follows:

- Conduct all-weather offensive air-to-surface attacks.
- Intercept and destroy enemy aircraft & missiles in all weather conditions to establish & maintain local air superiority.
- Detect and destroy enemy ships & submarines in all weather conditions to establish & maintain local sea control.
- Provide aerial photographic, sighting, & electronic intelligence for naval & joint operations.
- Provide airborne early warning service to fleet forces & shore warning nets under all weather conditions.
- Provide airborne electronic countermeasures.
- Conduct in-flight refueling operations to extend range & endurance of air wing aircraft.
- Perform all-weather mining operations.
- Conduct search and rescue operations.

To show what a current carrier air wing consists of, lets look at US Navy Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, which when at sea is embarked on the USS John Stennis, CVN-74. CVW-9's total squadrons currently include:

VFA-14, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-25, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-151, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 151 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-192 F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-41, F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-97, F/A-18C Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (12 Aircraft)
VAQ-136 EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (4-5 Aircraft)
VAW-112 E-2C Hawkeye Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 (5-6 Aircraft)
VRC-30 C-2 Greyhound Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Det. 4 (2 Aircraft)
HSC-8 MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 (5 Aircraft)
HSM-71 MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (5 Aircraft)

The US Marines will usually have at least one squadron of F/A-18Cs deployed to the carrier too.

Normally, all in all, the current deployed Air Wing on each Nimitz class carrier presently would include the following:

2 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
2 F/A-18C/D Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
1 EA-18G Growler Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 E-2D Hawkeye Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 C-2 Greyhound Detachment (2 Aircraft)
1 MM-60S Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)
1 MM-60R Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)

That's normally 68 aircraft, but they could carry 90+ aircraft if necessary.

Once the F-35Cs are available and the UACV come online...so, let's say the mid 2020s..the carrier air wing for US Navy nuclear carriers will develop into the following:

2 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
2 F-35C Lightning II Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
1 EA-18G Growler Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 UACV Squadron (6 Aircraft)
1 E-2D Hawkeye Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 C-2 Greyhound Detachment (2 Aircraft)
1 MM-60S Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)
1 MM-60R Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)

That would be 74 aircraft normally carried in the future.

It will be interesting in that time frame for us all to see what the PLAN develops and embarks on their carriers.
 
SinoSoldier

SinoSoldier

Colonel
kwaigonegin said:
I've was assigned to the 7th but in USN that's not necessarily how the rotation usually works. Depending on your tour or duty assignments you can be in more than one fleet in your career. Also it depends on your rating or job function. Most folks follow their ships or subs, aviators are assigned squadrons etc and follow their CAW (Carrier Air Wings) or fo to their respective NAS (duty stations). Some are shore based but not many left anymore. If you want to know more you can PM me.
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Is there a lot of flexibility in choosing which area of ship you want to serve in?

Thanks for the information by the way! :D
 
SinoSoldier

SinoSoldier

Colonel
Engineer said:
Liaoning has left port again.
yvUxD52.jpg

Tags; China; Dalian; Liaoning; September 01, 2013; aircraft carrier; forth training;
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Does she have any Song or Yuan escorts just to deter any foreign spying (not that it would greatly help but at least the others will know there's subs for protection)?
 
SinoSoldier

SinoSoldier

Colonel
Jeff Head said:
A modern US Navy Carrier Air Wing is made up of numerous squadrons of different aircraft. In the last 15+ years, the US Navy has been moving towards air wings that are as optimized and capable as possible.

The missions of the US Navy carrier air wing are as follows:

- Conduct all-weather offensive air-to-surface attacks.
- Intercept and destroy enemy aircraft & missiles in all weather conditions to establish & maintain local air superiority.
- Detect and destroy enemy ships & submarines in all weather conditions to establish & maintain local sea control.
- Provide aerial photographic, sighting, & electronic intelligence for naval & joint operations.
- Provide airborne early warning service to fleet forces & shore warning nets under all weather conditions.
- Provide airborne electronic countermeasures.
- Conduct in-flight refueling operations to extend range & endurance of air wing aircraft.
- Perform all-weather mining operations.
- Conduct search and rescue operations.

To show what a current carrier air wing consists of, lets look at US Navy Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, which when at sea is embarked on the USS John Stennis, CVN-74. CVW-9's total squadrons currently include:

VFA-14, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-25, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-151, F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 151 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-192 F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-41, F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (12 Aircraft)
VFA-97, F/A-18C Hornet Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (12 Aircraft)
VAQ-136 EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (4-5 Aircraft)
VAW-112 E-2C Hawkeye Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 (5-6 Aircraft)
VRC-30 C-2 Greyhound Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Det. 4 (2 Aircraft)
HSC-8 MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 (5 Aircraft)
HSM-71 MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (5 Aircraft)

The US Marines will usually have at least one squadron of F/A-18Cs deployed to the carrier too.

Normally, all in all, the current deployed Air Wing on each Nimitz class carrier presently would include the following:

2 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
2 F/A-18C/D Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
1 EA-18G Growler Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 E-2D Hawkeye Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 C-2 Greyhound Detachment (2 Aircraft)
1 MM-60S Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)
1 MM-60R Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)

That's normally 68 aircraft, but they could carry 90+ aircraft if necessary.

Once the F-35Cs are available and the UACV come online...so, let's say the mid 2020s..the carrier air wing for US Navy nuclear carriers will develop into the following:

2 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
2 F-35C Lightning II Squadrons (24 Aircraft)
1 EA-18G Growler Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 UACV Squadron (6 Aircraft)
1 E-2D Hawkeye Squadron (4 Aircraft)
1 C-2 Greyhound Detachment (2 Aircraft)
1 MM-60S Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)
1 MM-60R Sea Hawk Squadron (5 Aircraft)

That would be 74 aircraft normally carried in the future.

It will be interesting in that time frame for us all to see what the PLAN develops and embarks on their carriers.
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The PRC would most likely end J-15 production once 100 units are built for the first two carriers; they are great 4.5 generation fighters but they will be obsolete in the face of American and Japanese F-35. It's also unlikely they will invest in the J-31 since it reportedly lost out to another competing design.

Here's a semi-conservative estimate of their future naval aerial assets for each carrier:
- 1 J-15 airwing
- 1 J-XX airwing
- 1 Y-7 AWACS airwing
- 1 Sharp Sword airwing
- Z-15 airwing
- Z-18 airwing
- 1 Ka-31 airwing
 
Blitzo

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
SinoSoldier said:
The PRC would most likely end J-15 production once 100 units are built for the first two carriers; they are great 4.5 generation fighters but they will be obsolete in the face of American and Japanese F-35. It's also unlikely they will invest in the J-31 since it reportedly lost out to another competing design.

Here's a semi-conservative estimate of their future naval aerial assets for each carrier:
- 1 J-15 airwing
- 1 J-XX airwing
- 1 Y-7 AWACS airwing
- 1 Sharp Sword airwing
- Z-15 airwing
- Z-18 airwing
- 1 Ka-31 airwing
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We can probably cut sharp sword out of that, PLAN is still decades away from even demonstrating capability for launching, flying, and recovering an unmanned vehicle as complex as that, let alone commissioning it. Just look at how slowly USN is taking UCLASS.
Z-15 may not eventuate as a project, because there's a good chance Z-20 will overtake it as the PLA's main helicopter.
Z-18/modernized Z-8 may see some service aboard a future carrier, but I imagine PLAN would end up using Z-20 for ASW, transport, anti surface and general utility duties so they have a common platform.
Ka-31 shouldn't be present, considering it's a rotor wing AEWC (and this carrier already supposedly has Y-7 anyway), and if it did have a rotor wing AEWC, wouldn't it be Z-8Y instead?

Also, a helicopter airwing may not be equivalent in number to a fighter airwing, it's probably better to describe it in terms of aircrafts onboard instead.

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It's often been cited that the kuznetsov class can carry 24 fixed wing/Su-33 sized planes, and 26 ish helicopters, but that is obviously a full load, and is akin to how US supercarriers are always said to carry 90-100 aircraft, whereas in reality they often haul about 60-70 instead.

I don't expect liaoning to change from that, so chances are we may only end up with one squadron (12 J-15s) deployed on liaoning at peacetime, with a smaller complement of helicopters, or perhaps 3/4 of the ship's full capacity.

That rule of thumb would naturally go for any future PLAN CV or CVN as well.
 
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antiterror13

Brigadier
bd popeye said:
Exactly!

Sixth fleet is assigned to the Eastern & Northern Atlantic & Mediterranean Sea
Fifth Fleet is assigned to the Persian Gulf Region & Indian Ocean
Seventh Fleet is assigned to the Western Pacific Ocean
Third Fleet is assigned to the Eastern and Northern Pacific
Fouth Fleet si assigned to the Caribbean and South American shores.
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So US Navy has only 5 fleets (3rd, 4th, 5th. 6th and 7th and 10th fleet?).

I'd like the name of 1st fleet ... sounds much better :) (I know it it was disestablished in 1973)
 
Air Force Brat

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Bltizo said:
We can probably cut sharp sword out of that, PLAN is still decades away from even demonstrating capability for launching, flying, and recovering an unmanned vehicle as complex as that, let alone commissioning it. Just look at how slowly USN is taking UCLASS.
Z-15 may not eventuate as a project, because there's a good chance Z-20 will overtake it as the PLA's main helicopter.
Z-18/modernized Z-8 may see some service aboard a future carrier, but I imagine PLAN would end up using Z-20 for ASW, transport, anti surface and general utility duties so they have a common platform.
Ka-31 shouldn't be present, considering it's a rotor wing AEWC (and this carrier already supposedly has Y-7 anyway), and if it did have a rotor wing AEWC, wouldn't it be Z-8Y instead?

Also, a helicopter airwing may not be equivalent in number to a fighter airwing, it's probably better to describe it in terms of aircrafts onboard instead.

---

It's often been cited that the kuznetsov class can carry 24 fixed wing/Su-33 sized planes, and 26 ish helicopters, but that is obviously a full load, and is akin to how US supercarriers are always said to carry 90-100 aircraft, whereas in reality they often haul about 60-70 instead.

I don't expect liaoning to change from that, so chances are we may only end up with one squadron (12 J-15s) deployed on liaoning at peacetime, with a smaller complement of helicopters, or perhaps 3/4 of the ship's full capacity.

That rule of thumb would naturally go for any future PLAN CV or CVN as well.
Click to expand...

If they actually build 100??? That's iffy in today's economy, but the VIP visit to the Liaoning demonstrates my contention that they are very pleased with the J-15, and the fact that the Russians never got the Flanker/Carrier bird up and running makes the J-15 a PR asset as well, something the PLANAF can do, that their Northern Neighbors didn't master, and running the Ex Varyag, as the Liaoning, well that's pretty sweet for the PLAN as well, so there is no real reason to max out the Liaoning, but to get her up and running with an AirWing of 12-24 J-15s will no doubt be a priority. It wouldn't surprise me to see 12 J-15s, and 6 J-15Ss, the two seat version on the Liaoning before the end of 2015. brat
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
SinoSoldier said:
Does she have any Song or Yuan escorts just to deter any foreign spying (not that it would greatly help but at least the others will know there's subs for protection)?
Click to expand...
No, once she is at sea, she is too fast and her endurance too great for the Song or Yuan SSKs. She would probably have one Type 093 along if they can keep up with her. Nuclear attack subs have the speed and the endurance to hang with a carrier battle group and perform such ASW duties.
 
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