PLAN Carrier Strike Group and Airwing

Jeff Head said:

Actually, the US carriers carry a fairly heavy self-defense armament. They are not armed for offensive fighting themselves, because as popeye indicates, their aircraft are more than adequate for that, carrying much more firepower, longer distances, and more accurately.

But for self defense against air threat (aircraft or missiles), the armament has developed into

2 X Medium range Sea Sparrow Launchers with 16 missiles ready
2 X Short (but very effective) range RAM launchers w/42 missiles ready.
2 X 20mm CIWS Phalanx systems

Those are pretty strong armaments and allow for a lot of self-defense for any missiles or aircraft that get through :

1) The aircraft defensive ring of carrier aircraft far out from the carrier on barrier CAP.
2) The AEGIS escorts on picket and outer ring air defense duty.
3) The AEGIS escort(s) on innner ring air defense.

The aircraft carrier and its airwing are far too expensive a commodity to risk in any way. Having most of the defenses centered on the carrier itself would not allow for the defense in depth her escorts help to provide. For this reason, I expect the PLAN carrier to constitute the centerpiece of a CSG that is just as large, if not larger that the carrier escort group.

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Sczepan said:

thats one of the reasons to prefer carriers with cats, the so called "ski jump" could be enough for trainee-carriers, but these kind of carriers ar not really usefull in a real conflict.
Better two small carriers with catapult (to change in patroll and in a real conflict, if one of them is sinking, the other one could be used) as one "ski jump" carrier with limited hangar space ....

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Sczepan said:

thats one of the reasons to prefer carriers with cats, the so called "ski jump" could be enough for trainee-carriers, but these kind of carriers ar not really usefull in a real conflict.
Better two small carriers with catapult (to change in patroll and in a real conflict, if one of them is sinking, the other one could be used) as one "ski jump" carrier with limited hangar space ....

Click to expand...

Sczepan said:

thats one of the reasons to prefer carriers with cats, the so called "ski jump" could be enough for trainee-carriers, but these kind of carriers ar not really usefull in a real conflict.
Better two small carriers with catapult (to change in patroll and in a real conflict, if one of them is sinking, the other one could be used) as one "ski jump" carrier with limited hangar space ....

Click to expand...

Ambivalent said:

I disagree with your last paragraph Jeff. The carrier and her airwing will most definitely be put at risk in a major war. They are not there for show, they are combat systems and will be risked in combat if there is a need. Those ships are designed to absorb damage, and though the actual specs are highly classified, there are specific numbers of torpedo, bomb and missile hits a carrier is designed to withstand and still fight, if that becomes necessary. It is assumed that in a naval war carriers will take hits and that escorts will be expended defending the carrier.

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Ambivalent said:

I disagree with your last paragraph Jeff. The carrier and her airwing will most definitely be put at risk in a major war. They are not there for show, they are combat systems and will be risked in combat if there is a need. Those ships are designed to absorb damage, and though the actual specs are highly classified, there are specific numbers of torpedo, bomb and missile hits a carrier is designed to withstand and still fight, if that becomes necessary. It is assumed that in a naval war carriers will take hits and that escorts will be expended defending the carrier.

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Ambivalent said:

I disagree with your last paragraph Jeff. The carrier and her airwing will most definitely be put at risk in a major war. They are not there for show, they are combat systems and will be risked in combat if there is a need. Those ships are designed to absorb damage, and though the actual specs are highly classified, there are specific numbers of torpedo, bomb and missile hits a carrier is designed to withstand and still fight, if that becomes necessary. It is assumed that in a naval war carriers will take hits and that escorts will be expended defending the carrier.

Click to expand...

joshuatree said:

... but what if PLAN pursues a carrier with a UAV air wing instead with the Varyag or any smaller displacement carrier? UAVs are evolving at a very rapid pace so its conceivable.

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joshuatree said:

... but what if PLAN pursues a carrier with a UAV air wing instead with the Varyag or any smaller displacement carrier? UAVs are evolving at a very rapid pace so its conceivable.

Click to expand...

joshuatree said:

... but what if PLAN pursues a carrier with a UAV air wing instead with the Varyag or any smaller displacement carrier? UAVs are evolving at a very rapid pace so its conceivable.

Click to expand...