AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
Maybe Hagel should've asked when the carrier was fully operational. I don't know what they would've expected to see or learn at this time. I read it was a two hour visit. That sounds like enough time just for a tour.
PLAN Aircraft Carrier programme...(Closed)
- Thread starter bd popeye
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AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
If there was no media around, you can save a lot of time not having to answer questions. I was watching CNN doing an interview with Hagel while touring at the Forbidden City walking around answering questions. I'm sure that took more time than seen.
Skywatcher
Captain
Besides, Hagel as SecDef attracts a lot of reporters. Arranging transportation for all (or even a significant number) of them to the Liaoning could be... problematic (not to mention minding all those reporters once they get on board. They're probably not spies, but even well meaning people get lost on large ships). Hagel could bring a few reporters with him, but that could then look like favoritism.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
I'm sure Hagel was not alone and someone in his party was there to evaluate. I read somewhere that some of Hagel's staff were offered to take a ride on Chinese military aircraft to Beijing I believe to meet back with their boss there.
vesicles
Colonel
What do you think of it? Since you brought up the article first, I thought it would be a good idea for you to initiate the discussion.
Points of interest:
6,5 million US dólares just for daily maintenance of a single US carrier. Thats a huge sum. Will china be willing to pay that much for a carrier? (perhabs that sum is due to nuclear propulsion?)
In terms of role, it talks about a symbol of "prestige". Does prestige play a important role in the development of china´s AC program?
kwaigonegin
Colonel
Operational cost wouldn't come anywhere close to a US CVN. For one Liaoniag has about 1/5 the crew of a Nimitz class and 1/3 the number of aircrafts. That alone would cut the daily expense by a significant margin. As to the powerplant a reactor is actually cheaper to operate for obvious reasons except during RCOH where they have to refuel the rods etc but that is under capital/project cost and not operational.
Just grabbing numbers off the air I would say it cost about $1 million/day to operate Liaoning. I imagined compensation and benefits wise a PLAN sailor and airman also makes much less than his USN counterpart (due to exchange rates, COL differential etc). Nimitz class also carries 3.5 million gals. of JP-5 as well. Liaoning would just be a fraction that.
Even when fully operation I doubt Liaoning herself and her aircraft complement will put in as many miles/sorties as a typical USN carrier which will cut down on fuel, maintenance and other costs.
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That's operational cost of the entire carrier strike group not just one CVN.. which includes
1 Ticonderoga class CG
2 Arliegh Burke class DDGs
1 Los Angeles/Seawolf/Virginia class SSN.
and perhaps one replenishment ship.
As pointed out by kwaigonegin that cost included personal cost, fuel, food ammo etc, etc, etc...No it is not cheap to operate a Carrier Strike Group.
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