Type 076 LHD/LHA discussion
- Thread starter banjex
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Just going back to the point about the feasibility of using the 075 as basis for fitting an angled flight deck and a catapult or two onto it and how it might affect its eventual size as a result.Well, from the same @小西造车 on Weibo/@西葛西造舰 on Youtube guy, here's another version of the 076, but this time with 2 EMALS catapults instead of one:
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But this time, he made the 076 into a pure medium/UCAV carrier with no well deck...
It would be better to combine his 1st and 2nd designs into one, if we can go into the 50-55 thousand-ton displacement range with the 076. Also, 076 is still an LHD, not a CV afterall.
To put it simply: Angled deck (with the front end of landing deck well-clear of the fore deck, please) + 2x EMALS + arresting gear + 2 deck-side elevators + well deck + normal propeller shafts + smaller island.
It's quite apparent he's come to the same realisation of the required minimum physical parameters when designing a light to medium CV-equivalent hull form and trying to make it at least look functional.
Look at how much of a long boy this rendering already is just by pulling the starboard cat as far back as physically possible without eating into the angled deck, which is also only possible because he 'cheated' a bit by widening the flight deck beyond the main hull like an actual CV as opposed to having it flush like the 075 or any other LHA/Ds for that matter (except the Hyugas and Izumos).
Personally I think it really comes down to whether the PLAN envisions the 076 to be a one-size-fits-all and jack-of-all-trades platform that can conduct simultaneous amphib and flight (rotary and fixed-wing) ops, with long duration and large payload fixed-wing being pretty much the only capability of which the 075 lacks, and the question thus becomes how sensible it is to have such a capability in such a massive hull in the first place.
On the other hand if the 076 is to be an aviation-centric platform that operates in tandem with an 075, the lack of a well deck wouldn't be strictly necessary, I'd think, as amphib landings would still be conducted by the 075 while the 076 handles the bulk of the flight ops in CAS, ISR and what have you. So the proposition then becomes one where the 076 and 075 operate in pairs in amphib warfare scenarios much like how the USN had conducted their last op in the SCS by pairing the Nimitz ESF with the Makin Island's MEU -
... Only that the 076 would be the one that gets to provide air cover thus freeing the CV for other tasks, while the flexibility of a more comprehensive aviation capabilities can also afford the 076 to operate independently or even supplement the carrier fleets by ameliorating the workload in CAP in lower intensity theatres, ASW etc.
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what else do you think ?
There is no information or indication that 076 - if indeed existing and coming along - is supposed to replace 075.
To the contrary, all information we have is about it having a different role all-together.
There is no indication moving forward that 075 production is going to stop.
To the contrary, all information we have is about it having a different role all-together.
There is no indication moving forward that 075 production is going to stop.
Not to say I disagree but in general PLA do not stop producing last gen ship until the new ship is well in service.
I think it is possible that the 076 has just one catapult on a straight deck. The arguments against this layout seem to be about safety and redundancy.
However in the event of a crash the risk to life is low, the aircraft are unmanned and their ability to land safely may be higher also due to AI’s reaction times and reliability. If we are at the point where we can trust a UAV to safely land on a flat deck then safety is no longer a detriment to a straight decked carrier. Especially if the deck is unmanned and empty during landing operations, and the island is protected with a barrier.
Redundancy is needed in case a catapult breaks down, but the catapult on 076 might actually be reliable enough not to need a backup.
The 076s single catapult is not required to be operational at all times, only when launching heavy fixed wing UAVs. These tend to be long endurance, hence not launched very often, allowing plenty of time for predictive maintenance to keep it operational when needed.
Even if the catapult is lost, the 076 just turns into a 075 until it can be repaired or replaced. To mitigate this perhaps the UAVs can still take off without a catapult in a bare minimum configuration.
The cost of 2 catapults is quite a lot, and it might end up competing for budget with the Type 003. Perhaps overall it might be better to just produce more 076’s with 1 catapult rather than fewer with 2 catapults. A 076 with 1 catapult is absolutely world leading.
While it’s tremendously exciting to see the catapult I am equally excited about the potential IEPS and what a potentially unmanned well deck can provide.
In addition to the UAVs that 076 can bring to a task group, its well deck could to be stuffed with unmanned amphibious and surface vehicles such as we saw at Zhuhai. If those vehicles can all be remote controlled by marines and sailors on the 076 it keeps everyone safe.
However in the event of a crash the risk to life is low, the aircraft are unmanned and their ability to land safely may be higher also due to AI’s reaction times and reliability. If we are at the point where we can trust a UAV to safely land on a flat deck then safety is no longer a detriment to a straight decked carrier. Especially if the deck is unmanned and empty during landing operations, and the island is protected with a barrier.
Redundancy is needed in case a catapult breaks down, but the catapult on 076 might actually be reliable enough not to need a backup.
The 076s single catapult is not required to be operational at all times, only when launching heavy fixed wing UAVs. These tend to be long endurance, hence not launched very often, allowing plenty of time for predictive maintenance to keep it operational when needed.
Even if the catapult is lost, the 076 just turns into a 075 until it can be repaired or replaced. To mitigate this perhaps the UAVs can still take off without a catapult in a bare minimum configuration.
The cost of 2 catapults is quite a lot, and it might end up competing for budget with the Type 003. Perhaps overall it might be better to just produce more 076’s with 1 catapult rather than fewer with 2 catapults. A 076 with 1 catapult is absolutely world leading.
While it’s tremendously exciting to see the catapult I am equally excited about the potential IEPS and what a potentially unmanned well deck can provide.
In addition to the UAVs that 076 can bring to a task group, its well deck could to be stuffed with unmanned amphibious and surface vehicles such as we saw at Zhuhai. If those vehicles can all be remote controlled by marines and sailors on the 076 it keeps everyone safe.
It could be an LNG tanker module stored upside down. At least one of the modules in the actual drydock certainly looks like such.
You certainly are right, that is a module for an LNG tanker construction you see right beside it. However I'm still trying to find the bulkhead piece for the module behind, which I still am not convinced is a 076 module.
Those types of angled construction shapes are very commonly found in bulkheads, it's too fast to jump to conclusions that it is a 076 EMALS notch.
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