China's first aircraft carrier enters service!!!!

[manfrez01]

"Having the aircraft carrier enter the ranks will be of important significance in raising the overall fighting capacity of our nation's navy to a modern level," the defence ministry said in a statement.(bbc)

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-19710040

[RIPTIDE]

lol I remember when this was sold, ostensibly as a floating Gambling Casino. hehe. As if anyone believed that. :D

[manfrez01]

^^Very true!

[Pilotasso]

A bit of a paper tiger. The ship is too limited to be a naval spearhead, but rather a mere fleet support role would be more realistic.

[marcos]

It may be exiting from service shortly given the current islands fiasco going on right now.

[RIPTIDE]

A bit of a paper tiger. The ship is too limited to be a naval spearhead, but rather a mere fleet support role would be more realistic.

That, plus it's basically a training and operations development tool. The Kuz Class does not lend itself to power projection. Not the scope needed for the Maritime areas around Mainland China and her neighbours.

[Pilotasso]

from the list in the report, Italy and Spain have also Carrier, but no money for their banks..... :helpsmilie:

 

The Princepe De Asturias carrier was decommisioned. The Spanish were left with an helicopter carrier recently built new and they cramed the harriers in there. Not exactly the best solution either. Things are pretty grim in this corner of Europe and nothing is taken granted to last anymore.

[Alfa]

lol I remember when this was sold, ostensibly as a floating Gambling Casino. hehe. As if anyone believed that. :D

 

Many people did Riptide - there was a lot of disinformation spread at the time saying that after having been left unattended for a decade at the shipyard, the condition of the hull had deterioted beyond repair.

 

Even when they, through official channels, pressured Turkey to allow it to be towed through the Bosperous strait and paid $millions to have it brought half way around the globe to China no one seemed to "smell the rat" although it should have been pretty obvious that such a cost would make the claimed "floating casino" a completely unrealistic commercial prospect.

[Alfa]

A bit of a paper tiger. The ship is too limited to be a naval spearhead, but rather a mere fleet support role would be more realistic.

 

As far as I can see thats precisely what they need - China is not exactly known for sending its fleet to distant shores in support of military operations.

 

What their "naval build-up" is about is simply to establish a navy that can control the seas further out from own shores than they have previously been capable of. But having larger surface vessels of destroyer size further out at sea also brings up the question of providing proper aircover for their operations.

 

While a carrier of the "Kuz class" perhaps doesn't lend itself particulary well to "power projection"(in the sense of land attack capability), it is perfectly capable of providing airsuperiority for the fleet......to the extend that it is being outfitted with aircraft for the purpose of course :)

[RIPTIDE]

As far as I can see thats precisely what they need - China is not exactly known for sending its fleet to distant shores in support of military operations.

 

What their "naval build-up" is about is simply to establish a navy that can control the seas further out from own shores than they have previously been capable of. But having larger surface vessels of destroyer size further out at sea also brings up the question of providing proper aircover for their operations.

 

While a carrier of the "Kuz class" perhaps doesn't lend itself particulary well to "power projection"(in the sense of land attack capability), it is perfectly capable of providing airsuperiority for the fleet......to the extend that it is being outfitted with aircraft for the purpose of course :)

Well this is an Ace move by China. Get an established Naval Aviation wing on what is a very cheap carrier for them. Then their planners can decide going forward what they need from that experience. They'll have the training and and all the other soft resources built up when it's time to send blueprints to the Shipyards for their heavy carriers in the future.

 

It'll be interesting to see what this one will be fitted with in terms of ASM's if any. That'll define it's current role, as it does/did with the Kuz.

[Groove]

Please stay on topic!