CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER

 Submitted by: Terry Payne

 Chinese Aircraft Carrier #3, Called a Type 002

 

 

Friends,

The commentary below is forwarded for information on the real threat of the Chinese navy. This information is from a retired USN Captain who is an expert of naval warfare. Enjoy!

 

In the event you haven’t noticed, China’s third aircraft carrier is building. The shape outlined in the satellite photo below, should look familiar to those familiar with the U.S. Nimitz and Ford class ships. As you know their first two carriers are smaller and feature a ski jump ramp as opposed to a catapult. #1 was built from an incomplete Russian hull and #2 was an all Chinese effort. Both are now operational and have been deployed at the same time in two separate CSGs.

 

They will soon have a new, bigger carrier with catapult, unknown if steam of EMALS but at the rate they steal everything else, you can bet on EMALS. So this will allow them to launch and recover heavier aircraft including AEW and similar types, carry a much more rounded air group, launch and recover at the same time, and carry many more aircraft overall.

 

At the moment they are only flying the Shenyang J-15 based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-33. It is a twin engine, very fast (1,300 kts) and high altitude (66,000 ft) fighter comparable to the F/A 18 (1000 kts – 50,000 ft). The J-15 does not do aerial refueling, so far as I know. Other carrier aircraft are being developed in China so their next carriers will have a more broadly capable air-group with AEW, ASW, refueling and EW capabilities and likely COD as well.

 

Some of you may have seen the Chinese propaganda film showing off their existing carrier, a launch and a very well drilled crew suited out in the same flight deck job identification colors as US crewmembers. While we say it took 100 years to get to the capability and efficiency of our carries and carrier aviation, it will not take China long to learn all the lessons we obtained, publicly or through espionage and theft.

 

It may take them some time to build up to our count of 11 carrier strike groups, but then again, for the moment, they can focus their assets in areas of immediate concern or hegemonic ambition, the S.& E. China Sea, Yellow Sea, Philippine Sea) and their string of pearls island chain circle of control while, we are dealing with issues all over the world. We have one carrier forward deployed in Japan and typically the other deployed carrier somewhere in the Middle East, either N Arabian Sea, Red Sea of sometimes during the Syria situation, briefly in the Med. Three or more are typically in overhaul, and others in various stages of repair and refit, training and work up for deployment or taking a brief stand-down after return from lengthy deployments. Ford is still being outfitted with internal elevators a long delayed item,. Ford initial trials, training and work up. so theoretically deployable number 10 less three or more in the yard or 7. Of these, only one or two are near ready at any time, due to their point in the cycle and the work up including qualification of the air group before deployment.

 

As you know, the US now concedes that which has been true for some time but was largely unreported. The Chinese navy is larger and newer than the US navy. We claim 296 warships. The Chinese are now acknowledged to field 492 ships before auxiliaries (which we also exclude from the count and call USNS ships of the of the Military Sea Lift Command manned by civilian crews).  

 

The Chines PLAN includes a large amphibious component (beware, Taiwan) which includes large deck ships with vertical life capability in addition to launching smaller landing craft. They also have modern destroyers and modern missiles and electronics. Their sub fleet continues to grow and modernize with deployable ballistic missile boats capable of reaching the US just as the Russians have fielded for over half a century. They also have formidable missile forces on land including well-hidden mobile systems and new types of hypersonic missiles as well as much more elusive warheads.

 

They also have a huge armed coast guard fielding over 164 “Cutters”  and large numbers of smaller ships, as opposed to our Coast Guard with 50 or so Cutters and various small boats. The difference is a few are destroyers from the PLAN and the newest Chinese Coast Guard class is bigger than our Ticonderoga Class Cruisers and Burke destroyers and about 4 times the Gearing and Sumner class several of us served in. They are heavily armed.

 

In short, the seaborne capabilities of China are very significant and although balanced somewhat differently than ours, also formidable.

 

Here is the picture of the new Type 2 Chinese Carrier under construction.

 

 

 

As noted, the outline has been enhanced for easier viewing. I think the Chinese plan to have the ship operational is another three years or less.

 

 

Cheers