PLAN Carrier Strike Group and Airwing

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I got the dimensions from wiki and the like. For the L-15 I assumed it has the same wingspan as the Yak-130.

So, for a navalised J-10 I'd suggest sticking with a single engine but adding CFTs. Avionics would be the best already available for J-10 so guess an IRST and relatively good air-ground capability, latest SRAAM and PL-10 etc. The neatest trick would be a folding tail .... I'm thinking double-stacking part of the hanger deck much like the "hoist-able decks" on some vehicle ferries. By that way of thinking height is more important than wingspan for maximising aircraft stowage.


Original CGI at

The air-wing would be:
12 Su-33s with modern avionics for main air-defence (to be replaced by J-14s from 2020 onwards)
24 J-10s for secondary air-defense and GP strike etc
4 fixed wing AEW assets
6 fixed wing ASW/MP aircraft
10-14 Z-9 ASW/GP helicopters (less height than Ka-27)

= 52 aircraft

Question for Popeye or Jeff:
Re the 90 aircraft capability of the USN's super-carriers. Are they all carried in the hanger or does that rely on flight-deck storage? If so, what happens in bad weather?

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I got the dimensions from wiki and the like. For the L-15 I assumed it has the same wingspan as the Yak-130.

So, for a navalised J-10 I'd suggest sticking with a single engine but adding CFTs. Avionics would be the best already available for J-10 so guess an IRST and relatively good air-ground capability, latest SRAAM and PL-10 etc. The neatest trick would be a folding tail .... I'm thinking double-stacking part of the hanger deck much like the "hoist-able decks" on some vehicle ferries. By that way of thinking height is more important than wingspan for maximising aircraft stowage.


Original CGI at

The air-wing would be:
12 Su-33s with modern avionics for main air-defence (to be replaced by J-14s from 2020 onwards)
24 J-10s for secondary air-defense and GP strike etc
4 fixed wing AEW assets
6 fixed wing ASW/MP aircraft
10-14 Z-9 ASW/GP helicopters (less height than Ka-27)

= 52 aircraft

Question for Popeye or Jeff:
Re the 90 aircraft capability of the USN's super-carriers. Are they all carried in the hanger or does that rely on flight-deck storage? If so, what happens in bad weather?

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

USN carriers have been designed since before WW2 to operate with at least half of their air wing on deck. In heavy weather those on deck would most likely be 'spotted' further aft to avoid any 'green' coming over the bows but they would still be on deck. With the currently reduced air wing size a larger percentage can be stowed below deck leaving fewer aircraft 'in harms way' on deck.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

USN carriers have been designed since before WW2 to operate with at least half of their air wing on deck. In heavy weather those on deck would most likely be 'spotted' further aft to avoid any 'green' coming over the bows but they would still be on deck. With the currently reduced air wing size a larger percentage can be stowed below deck leaving fewer aircraft 'in harms way' on deck.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

USN carriers have been designed since before WW2 to operate with at least half of their air wing on deck. In heavy weather those on deck would most likely be 'spotted' further aft to avoid any 'green' coming over the bows but they would still be on deck. With the currently reduced air wing size a larger percentage can be stowed below deck leaving fewer aircraft 'in harms way' on deck.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Thanks, sorry for directing that question at the USN guys, of course you and many people here are equally qualified to answer. Thanks again.

I think that the USN is making a compromise, which in their mind is optimum. But clearly if you can store 100% of your regular air-wing below decks that's a huge benefit. This also means that aircraft carriers like CDG and Admiral Kuznetsov can actually operate with almost twice the number of aircraft in "surge" capacity conditions such as war.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Thanks, sorry for directing that question at the USN guys, of course you and many people here are equally qualified to answer. Thanks again.

I think that the USN is making a compromise, which in their mind is optimum. But clearly if you can store 100% of your regular air-wing below decks that's a huge benefit. This also means that aircraft carriers like CDG and Admiral Kuznetsov can actually operate with almost twice the number of aircraft in "surge" capacity conditions such as war.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Thanks, sorry for directing that question at the USN guys, of course you and many people here are equally qualified to answer. Thanks again.

I think that the USN is making a compromise, which in their mind is optimum. But clearly if you can store 100% of your regular air-wing below decks that's a huge benefit. This also means that aircraft carriers like CDG and Admiral Kuznetsov can actually operate with almost twice the number of aircraft in "surge" capacity conditions such as war.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I think that the USN is making a compromise, which in their mind is optimum

Click to expand...

The reason for the reduced air wings is the improved storie rates because of PGM..Prescision guided munitions. Fewer stories required to perform the same missions because of the PGM destroy targets with much more accuracy.

If need be the USN CVNs could operate with an air wing similar to one I deployed with on the USS America CV-66 in 1981.

CVW-11 as deployed on CV-66 in 1981

14ac= VF-114 Aardvarks F-14A(TARPS)
12ac= VF-213 Black Lions F-14A
12ac= VA-192 Golden Dragons A-7E
12ac= VA-195 Dam Busters A-7E
15ac= VA-95 Green Lizards A-6E/KA-6D
04ac= VAW-123 Screwtops E-2C
04ac= VAQ-133 Wizards EA-6B
06ac= HS-12 Wyverns SH-3H
10ac= VS-33 Screwbirds S-3A
01ac= VQ-2DET. Batmen EA-3B
02ac= VR-24DET. Lifting Eagles C-2A
92 total aircraft.

Given those numbers an Nimitz class could carry 30+ additional aircraft if need be.

The air wing may look like this..

72 F/A18 Hornets & Super Hornets
8 E/A-6B Prowlers or E/F-18G Growlers
4 E2-C Hawkeyes
6 SH-60 Seahawks variants
1 or 2 C-2 Greyhounds

That equals 91/92 aircraft.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I think that the USN is making a compromise, which in their mind is optimum

Click to expand...

The reason for the reduced air wings is the improved storie rates because of PGM..Prescision guided munitions. Fewer stories required to perform the same missions because of the PGM destroy targets with much more accuracy.

If need be the USN CVNs could operate with an air wing similar to one I deployed with on the USS America CV-66 in 1981.

CVW-11 as deployed on CV-66 in 1981

14ac= VF-114 Aardvarks F-14A(TARPS)
12ac= VF-213 Black Lions F-14A
12ac= VA-192 Golden Dragons A-7E
12ac= VA-195 Dam Busters A-7E
15ac= VA-95 Green Lizards A-6E/KA-6D
04ac= VAW-123 Screwtops E-2C
04ac= VAQ-133 Wizards EA-6B
06ac= HS-12 Wyverns SH-3H
10ac= VS-33 Screwbirds S-3A
01ac= VQ-2DET. Batmen EA-3B
02ac= VR-24DET. Lifting Eagles C-2A
92 total aircraft.

Given those numbers an Nimitz class could carry 30+ additional aircraft if need be.

The air wing may look like this..

72 F/A18 Hornets & Super Hornets
8 E/A-6B Prowlers or E/F-18G Growlers
4 E2-C Hawkeyes
6 SH-60 Seahawks variants
1 or 2 C-2 Greyhounds

That equals 91/92 aircraft.