China's first aircraft carrier

[GTOlover]

Originally Posted by plwhit

The Chinese carrier is a threat to no-one because the Chinese have no carrier based aircraft (they haven't been able to copy either ours or the Russians yet)

Some additional info on it:

Chinese Military News Blog

BTW, it just returned from it's maiden voyage:

Carrier returns to Dalian after maiden sea trial

"The J-15 fighter is similar to Russia's cutting-edge Sukhoi Su-33 and as competent as the US F-18E/F, also known as the Super Hornet, fighter aircraft, the report said."


haha that made me laugh the Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker (the SU-33 is just the naval version)and F-18 have been in service for pretty much the same amount of time and they are 35-40 year old designs.
they both came out in the mid-late 70's


Heck F-18's and F-15's have intercepting Sukhoi SU-27's way back since the cold war...not to forget that Russia now flys the SU-35BM now.. which is a generation 4+ fighter and the F/A-18E/F super hornet is a gen 4++ fighter jet

I would say when it comes to modren naval experince the US in undoubtedly #1 and Russia would be in second place... china is no where near the threat to North America as the former Soviet Union was 25 years ago.

China has a long way to go even if the want to Replace Russia as a military power and they have super long way to go... If they hope to replace the US as a military super power... which chances are it won't happen in our lifetime.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by GTOlover

I would say when it comes to modren naval experince the US in undoubtedly #1 and Russia would be in second place...

I would put it in this order:

1 US, 2 UK, 3, France, 4 - Italy, 5 - Spain, 6 - Russia.

Only the US and the UK have operated their carriers in a time of war since the '80's and the UK just recently decommissioned theirs....

china is no where near the threat to North America as the former Soviet Union was 25 years ago.

Well, if you believe the conspiracy crowd China launched a missile off the coast of California a couple of months ago

China has a long way to go even if the want to Replace Russia as a military power and they have super long way to go... If they hope to replace the US as a military super power... which chances are it won't happen in our lifetime.

Methinks by 2050 China *might* be where the US is today........

They have tons of money and have proven they can copy anyone's technology.....

[Dane_in_LA]

I hope they checked the Carfax on that clunker.

In all seriousness, though, it is interesting that they'd go that way. Had I been in charge of China's military, I would've been working harder on coming up with a technology/doctrine to make carriers obsolete. A Dreadnought leap, so to speak.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by Dane_in_LA

In all seriousness, though, it is interesting that they'd go that way. Had I been in charge of China's military, I would've been working harder on coming up with a technology/doctrine to make carriers obsolete. A Dreadnought leap, so to speak.

But then you couldn't intimidate your neighbors or other puny second/third world countries just because you could sink a carrier now could you?

[Dane_in_LA]

Originally Posted by plwhit

But then you couldn't intimidate your neighbors or other puny second/third world countries just because you could sink a carrier now could you?

<shrug> If by "neighbors" you mean Taiwan, there's no need for carrier cover. The Formosa strait is 110 miles and change, there's no call for a sinkable air base for a Taiwan operation.

But look to Germany in the 1910s. If they'd thrown manpower and resources into submarines rather than trying to out-Dreadnought the Royal Navy, the naval strategic picture would have changed completely. Same for China - they can't hope to catch up with the US in carrier strength. They can try to make carriers outmoded.

But I guess we should be grateful that they're going about it this way.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by Dane_in_LA

<shrug> If by "neighbors" you mean Taiwan, there's no need for carrier cover. The Formosa strait is 110 miles and change, there's no call for a sinkable air base for a Taiwan operation.

Last time I looked there are quite a few countries that China can intimidate, here's a refresher:

But look to Germany in the 1910s. If they'd thrown manpower and resources into submarines rather than trying to out-Dreadnought the Royal Navy, the naval strategic picture would have changed completely.

More submarines wouldn't have changed the course of the war, the allies by 1917 had recognized and developed strategies and resources to counter the IGN's submarines...

Same for China - they can't hope to catch up with the US in carrier strength. They can try to make carriers outmoded.

As it stands now any American carrier can be sunk by a determined enemy, your point is moot.

Here's one example:



You did read of course of the Chinese submarine that surfaced within visible sight of one of our carriers a couple of years ago without us detecting it, right?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...red-faced.html

I personally know someone who was on the carrier in question who experienced this episode.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

If one were to think long term the Chinese will deploy a carrier fleet matching the American carrier force.

Remember, America cannot sustain the cost of deploying 11 carrier battle groups and China is looking towards 2040-2050 for their super carriers.

Please study the Chinese mentality, they will do it for national pride and to show the Americans they are superior to us if for nothing else....

IMO space is where the focus is at, not ships or Gen 5 fighters...