Type 081 LHD

FugitiveVisions said:

There are people who are geniunely confused by China's intentions. They sees a big modernization effort going on China, so many American scholars and policymakers conclude that China is about to take some imminent action, since that's how a Western mind is trained to react. Everything now, today.

Click to expand...

It's not necessarily a fear of imminent action.

If the China's military continues to grow in line with its economy, then the U.S. will lose it's military dominance around the middle of this century. It's a basic reality, and it's pretty normal in world history that military power is roughly proportional to economic power. (Not a direct relationship, as there are lots of exceptions, but still roughly true.)

For some U.S. foreign policy theorists (mostly neocons) the idea of the U.S. losing its military dominance is unacceptable. So they spin China's military development (which is in proportion to its economic development) as being something exceptional and suspicious.

... Ami.

AmiGanguli said:

It's not necessarily a fear of imminent action.

Click to expand...

And thanks for restating what I wrote in the next paragraph.

I agread with you bd Popeye, I Know much of china and this not going to happen.:coffee:

l-pq said:

pic??

Click to expand...

You need to ask Indians and Americans, because it seems that they are the ones who know about this 081 thing

So many oneliners! Bann them all!

dollarman said:

I could list a thousand reasons why that would be a bad idea. There is the range limit of course, and even if the helos could fly that far, their payload would be severely restricted by then. They also would have to be launched in advance and seperately from the main landing force, furthing increasing coordination problems. Flying across the strait leaves them vulnerable to SAMs and Taiwanese fighter attacks (although the PLAAF gaining air-superiority might resolve this). If they were carried on a LHD protected by escorts, that would not be an issue. Furthermore, if a helo breaks down, it can be serviced by a LHD in the hanger. But if an engine failure occurs, say 50 km from land, the helo is screwed...

Get my point?

Click to expand...

Mi17's range with normal payload and internal fuel is 495km, so range may not be a major problem.

szbd said:

Mi17's range with normal payload and internal fuel is 495km, so range may not be a major problem.

Click to expand...

No, range will be a problem, especially if you are carrying a decent and worthwhile payload. I bet such a trip will be a one-way trip; that helicopter ain't coming back home until it gets fuel at the target. And even then, you are carrying a lighter load than what you can if you launched from less than 50km away, where you can max out the volume and the carrying load of the helicopter, and have enough fuel onboard as reserve.

Realistically, I would take the Y-8's and Y-7's and air drop troops into Taiwan, and then use the Y-8's and the Il-76's to drop armoured vehicles and supplies into secured landing zones using LAPES. Later, a rough air strip can be built out of a large clearing or a length of highway, and use that to land further reinforcements and supplies.

Helicopters are useful for in-theater airlift; they lack the necessary range and payload to do anything else.

So, you're saying that the widely qouted 495 km range figure is, in fact, achieved with little to no payload? And that with some useful payload (lets say 3 tons) that figure is reduced by ... how much?

The standard payload of Mi17 is 4 tons (total take off weight 11 tons, empty weight 7 tons), and the range is 495km with internal fuel at this payload. This is enough to transport soldiers across the straight and back.