PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)

Brainsuker said:

Wait, if it's VLS, then how can that ship is a carrier?

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The simplest answer would be the fresh water tank. That compartment is still low in the deck level, where normally ships of all type store fresh water. You would need a considerable amount of fresh water supply for thousands of crew onboard for their daily needs.
BD or some of those here who had served on AC can add to that.

Fresh water is stored in voids on the very bottom of the keel. A Nimitz class has the ability to make 400,000 gallons of fresh water a day..On a Nimitz class the catapults use up a considerable amount of fresh water. Of course the crew needs fresh water to drink, cook, bathe , wash clothes, wash aircraft etc....etc..

I feel that hole you see in the forward part of the hull may be future weapons/munitions magazines.

I would think some portion or all of the extra available space forward of the hanger deck should be for the crew quarters who work in hanger and flight decks, showers,galley, bunks etc. Just like in US and British layout. After your shift, go to shower, on the same deck, change your cloth, chow down and hit the pillow. There is nothing more annoying than walking up/down a few narrow hallways/stairs after your shift. That I'd say is part of the real crew comfort. So I would argue that hole could as well be galley storage, groceries, cooler, meat locker etc for the galley above. That would be a rather complicated work setting up than a storage for disarmed ammunition, which would rather look like a modern warehouse with neat rows and ample aisles. I'd also think ammunition storage should be rather aft than this far forward.

Totoro said:

Kuznetsov class allegedly had ships crew numbering over 1600. French Cdg dropped that to 1200. QE class has that number dropping to just 700. I really expect the new carrier to go for similar changes.

1000-ish people manning the ship and another 700 or so for the air wing is really enough for a carrier of such size. And it'd still mean savings of hundreds of people (rooms, supplies etc) which should then be realized as more space for fuel/weapons storage, perhaps a big longer hangar etc.

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In view of the much heavier armament of Adm. K CdG doesn't look to have reduced crew due to increased automation.

That would be a rather complicated work setting up than a storage for disarmed ammunition, which would rather look like a modern warehouse with neat rows and ample aisles. I'd also think ammunition storage should be rather aft than this far forward.

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Some of you fellows need to attend Popeye's class Aircraft Carriers 101.. for the beginner...

Having served aboard Nimitz in addition to America and John F Kennedy I can tell you that all those ships had/have munition magazines both forward and aft. The magazines in the aft part of the ship are a little larger than the magazines in the forward part of the ship.

Atlantic Ocean (Feb. 7, 2007) - Aviation ordnancemen ensure stacks of BLU-110AB general purpose bombs are secured properly in one of the shipboard magazines during an ammunition onload aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is currently underway conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mari Matsumoto (RELEASED)

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Totoro said:

1000-ish people manning the ship and another 700 or so for the air wing is really enough for a carrier of such size. And it'd still mean savings of hundreds of people (rooms, supplies etc) which should then be realized as more space for fuel/weapons storage, perhaps a big longer hangar etc.

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Naval ships do not have rooms.. they have compartments. Some are called rooms but they are still compartments.

A smaller crew just means less persons to fight fires and preform damage control in case of disaster. Things do happen at sea.

Smaller crew also means less services for the ships accompanying the carrier. For instance, a real machine shop, medical personnel and dentist. A fully manned and ready Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department capable of major repairs to the strike group aircraft. And who do you think cleans a ship of that size? the crew of course.

..and aboard USN carriers the lowest deck for berthing the crew is the third deck. Much of the crew berthing is on the 03 level just below the flight deck.

Could it be the place for the energy storage devices of an EMALS?

bd popeye said:

Some of you fellows need to attend Popeye's class Aircraft Carriers 101.. for the beginner...

Having served aboard Nimitz in addition to America and John F Kennedy I can tell you that all those ships had/have munition magazines both forward and aft. The magazines in the aft part of the ship are a little larger than the magazines in the forward part of the ship.

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SD members would do well to listen to our aircraft carrier sea dog...our own old man from the sea! LOL!

Jeff Head said:

You ould be right of course.

But I think there will be some relatively minor...but telling...changes.

1) I believe they will remove the old SSM silos and provide more space
2) I believe there will be slight improvements to the island.
3) I believe they will lengthen the hanger spaces nominally.
4) I believe they will improve logistics and munitions handling

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I don't believe any ship building industry would be so lacking in self respect and self confidence as to be unwilling to rearrange a small part of a design to eliminate a totally useless compartment from a foreign design, which itself was hardly based on any long experience, that happen served as an inspiration.

Intrepid said:

Could it be the place for the energy storage devices of an EMALS?

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I think there are many more plausible reasons for that large deck opening forward than the Chinese were too timid to change the local design to eliminate the structural remnants of a unwanted compartment, and all these are consistent with known or widely suspected main attribute of the carrier, such as it not having catapults.

Some examples are:

The opening is for installation of the machinery for a bow thruster, or a retractable azipod.

The opening is for the anchor chain locker

The opening is for installation of an retractable under keel sonar installation.