Geographer
Junior Member
Any further news on this rumored Type 081 LHD?
Type 081 LHD
- Thread starter Sczepan
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pugachev_diver
Banned Idiot
I seriously doubt the need for a helicopter carrier. Helicopters are too slow and their payloads are too small to be considered as effective for the sea. If China builds a normal 40,000+ tons carrier, then I could see the use for it. What's the use for a helicopter carrier? The slow speed of a helicopter can easily make it shot down by missiles, sometimes even outdated antiaircraft guns.
Amphibious assault/invasions, to deliver troops onto the beach or behind enemy lines, search and rescue, MOOTW -- the use of a helicopter carrier is basically whatever uses there are for helicopters, only based at sea.
If the PLAN decides to go for a LHD or LHA I hope they consider operating a turboprop attack aircraft from them. Armed with a couple of ATGMs or gunpods and light PGMs they could be useful against an enemy without sophisticated air defenses, or even to take out enemy helicopters. They should add a ski jump and think of operating fixed wing UAVs at least, like the RAN's future canberra class.
MwRYum
Major
That'd be far too ambitious, especially out of character for the PLAN, the most logical approach would be first strengthen the helicopter fleet, give the PLA Marines with organic heliborne and roter-wing fire support assets, and that'd need a air superiority blanket, that's where the future carrier-borne fighter assets are for...
Yeah unfortunately I think you're right -- walk before you can run.
But I do wonder if the PLAN or PLA has enough helicopters to spare for any decent sized LHAs or LHDs... Not to mention quality -- they have nothing in the blackhawk/NH-90 class nor anything in the sea stallion class either, with only the Z-9 and Z-8... The latter might be useful though, but the PLAs current helicopter situation is certainly not optimal.
yea, helicopters are one of those areas where china is still quite weak. Only recently they have started to making R&D on this area (compared to fighters and other areas)
Geographer
Junior Member
I agree China is weak in helicopters. Many of their only modern helicopters are copies of what they got from the US and Europe in the 1980s before the arms embargo. Today China buys Boeing and Airbus airliners, why can't China buy Eurocopter and Bell helicopters like the NH90 and EH101 then reverse engineer them? The EH101 has a civilian variant. So does the Eurocopter Super Puma. The embargo allows civilian exports, that is how China and Eurocopter are jointly developing a heavy lift helicopter.
Gents this thread is about a possible PLAN LHD.. not 737's..Get back on topic. I move the last few post to ;
http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/air-force/chinas-transport-heavy-lift-aircraft-197.html#post3487
bd popeye super moderator
http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/air-force/chinas-transport-heavy-lift-aircraft-197.html#post3487
bd popeye super moderator
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Dunno. maybe because they dont have the technical expertise to reverse engineering them? after all they have little know-how in the helicopter area, unlike airplanes. Besides, western stuff is expensive by chinese standarts. They dont want to buy them in large quantities. Better to develop their own, even if that takes longer.
But it think that china is persuing a joint helicopter project with russia and another one with europe i think, although i wonder if there is any news on this projects
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