PLAN Carrier Strike Group and Airwing

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

panzerkom said:

Well, at this point, both the Japanese and South Koreans are still ahead of China in terms of naval aviation -- the Japanese with the Hyuga and the South Koreans with the Dokdo. If the new Chinese carriers were indeed intended to be deployed to the South China Sea, I'd imagine the Vietnamese and Filipinos to be more worried.

Click to expand...

See more info at my WorldWideAircraftCarrier site for the:





I am well aware of the capabilities of both carriers...but neither of those classes will compare to what the Chinese ar e proposing in their new indigenous carriers, or the former Varyag for that matter.

Until you see F-35s on the decks of those carriers, neither of them can come close to comparing with a wing of SU-27s or anything similar flying off the decks of these Chinese carriers.

My guess is, if this becomes reality, you may well see provisions for the F-35s on the decks of both the South Korean and Japanese carriers. Though it may take significant refit to be able to actually logistically support and maintain them in the hangar spaces.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

panzerkom said:

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Click to expand...

We do not know that it has no propulsion system. It spent considerable time in very expensive dry dock, and it has been pier side to very large cranes for a long time.

Propuslion could easily have been refitted...but we just do not know.

Given the amount of money the PLAN has spent in refitting the vessel in areas that we know of, including that time in dry dock, including the very large logistical facilities they have built next to the vessel, and including the flight deck being prepped with a zinc-chromate surface and then the non-skid surface, it would not be unrealistic whatsoever to presume that the PLAN either already has done significant work interior to the vessel with the propulsion, or yet may do so.

Time will tell.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

panzerkom said:

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Click to expand...

We do not know that it has no propulsion system. It spent considerable time in very expensive dry dock, and it has been pier side to very large cranes for a long time.

Propuslion could easily have been refitted...but we just do not know.

Given the amount of money the PLAN has spent in refitting the vessel in areas that we know of, including that time in dry dock, including the very large logistical facilities they have built next to the vessel, and including the flight deck being prepped with a zinc-chromate surface and then the non-skid surface, it would not be unrealistic whatsoever to presume that the PLAN either already has done significant work interior to the vessel with the propulsion, or yet may do so.

Time will tell.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

panzerkom said:

Jeff, the Varyag still has no propulsion system, right? Or at least no one has ever spotted one being fitted to the hulk.

Click to expand...

We do not know that it has no propulsion system. It spent considerable time in very expensive dry dock, and it has been pier side to very large cranes for a long time.

Propuslion could easily have been refitted...but we just do not know.

Given the amount of money the PLAN has spent in refitting the vessel in areas that we know of, including that time in dry dock, including the very large logistical facilities they have built next to the vessel, and including the flight deck being prepped with a zinc-chromate surface and then the non-skid surface, it would not be unrealistic whatsoever to presume that the PLAN either already has done significant work interior to the vessel with the propulsion, or yet may do so.

Time will tell.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I've read your page, Jeff. It's very informative. Thank you.

But I still think it is next to impossible to install a propulsion system capable of powering the Varyag in complete secrecy. I mean it would be tough to hide 2-deck high boilers if they kept the original steam turbine design; or to a lesser extent, 60'x40'x40' 2-stroke marine diesel engines if they are converting to diesel.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I've read your page, Jeff. It's very informative. Thank you.

But I still think it is next to impossible to install a propulsion system capable of powering the Varyag in complete secrecy. I mean it would be tough to hide 2-deck high boilers if they kept the original steam turbine design; or to a lesser extent, 60'x40'x40' 2-stroke marine diesel engines if they are converting to diesel.

Re: Ideal chinese carrier thread

I've read your page, Jeff. It's very informative. Thank you.

But I still think it is next to impossible to install a propulsion system capable of powering the Varyag in complete secrecy. I mean it would be tough to hide 2-deck high boilers if they kept the original steam turbine design; or to a lesser extent, 60'x40'x40' 2-stroke marine diesel engines if they are converting to diesel.