CV-18 Fujian/003 CATOBAR carrier thread

[Gloire_bb]

If the 003 is accepted after sea trials we may well see China standardize on it. as for numbers China only has to guard the pacific, the USA has to patrol the pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean. if we look at something like fleet tracker

Standardization comes later, I simply considered three things:
1, International situation in the end calls for faster capital ship construction.
2, China's fleet composition leans very heavily towards surface combatants and conventional subs. Takes to rectify this are taken, but they're slow - surface units continue to outproduce SSNs and CVs.
3, Waiting for 003 results will take many years. For capital ships, it's prudent to accept that there is no such thing as purely experimental units. Yes, it's a risk, but capital ship is not just investment of money and technology, it's an investment of time. Unlike the money, lost time won't come back when you'll need it.

As for the latter... Fleet carrier isn't CSG ship. It isn't meant to 'guard the pacific', patrols are the aim of those nations who don't aim at anything else(read - vanity boats). Carrier is meant to provide the necessary degree of airpower for the nation, where it is needed and against whoever is needed.

We can see that in the Pacific America is happy to have only three carrier groups in the Pacific facing china, if china builds but three more carriers it would outnumber the Americans.

This is a peacetime deployment, and CSGs are easily rearrangeable. If you want to have any chance against a nation with a dozen nuclear carriers, and which can potentially call for the assistance of up to 7...9 more fleet carriers - you build up accordingly.

In the end, decks matter. Value of certain numbers of carriers for PLAN may be up to debate, but the value of tactical airpower at sea per se is undisputable. And regardless of the conclusions of those debates, I am sure that entering any likely conflict(or even endangered period) with just 3 decks won't be the preferred scenario.

This is why I personally think that pace of construction is too leisurely. Not of the ships themselves(they're built decently fast), but the fact that only 1 hull is being built at any given moment.

 

[snake65]

China is still on a learning curve with CVs. A very steep curve, but it's still learning. Consider this - China refurbished with minor modifications a semi-finished ex-Soviet STOBAR CV and introduced 1st gen CV aircraft just 10 years ago. Next they built second CV with slight mods to the design and only domestic equipment. Nowadays China is finishing 3rd carrier, a CATOBAR with EM cats and we may see 2nd gen aircraft ( including shipborne AWACS )on this CV. There's enough innovation to be digested first, before building the next one. Eventually, there's going to be a nuclear CATOBAR, but not exactly tomorrow.

Consider also this. China has ambitions to significantly expand the nuclear submarine fleet. We have no clue of the potential production volume of nuclear powertrains, subs may get priority before a nuclear CV, at least initially.

 

[escobar]

Satellite update.

little better pic

 

[Volpler11]

little better pic
View attachment 87999

Since they are building another ship next to 003, I am guessing the assembly of 004 will not start straight after 003 is launched.

 

[Intrepid]

The first photo evidence that construction of 004 has started will look like this:



Remember

We should monitor possible module construction sites more closely.

 

[overview]

Unless 003 passes at least some major performance sea trials, such as EM catapult system operation, I dont think it is realistic to carry out the construction of the follow-up ships. Either another 003 class or a successor. After all, no one could qurantee whether the new technologies applied on 003 will meet the requirements in a real marine environment or not. Minor tests or tests with validated systems may be skipped due to time constraints, excluding critical systems.

 

[Pendemic]

If the 003 is accepted after sea trials we may well see China standardize on it. as for numbers China only has to guard the pacific, the USA has to patrol the pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean. if we look at something like fleet tracker

We can see that in the Pacific America is happy to have only three carrier groups in the Pacific facing china, if china builds but three more carriers it would outnumber the Americans.

What is needed however is combat experience, America has carrier warfare perfected, China is still learning the ropes. if it could get its 002 or even when its in service the 003 in a conflict the PLAN could easily train up its crews and learn naval warfare.

The planes, the planes.

It is quite probable that China will pace the building of new carriers in tandem with the development and commissioning of the new JXX carrier capable stealth planes. No point in having too many carriers filled with J15 when the other side has F 35s

 

[Andy1974]

Conventional power ships carrying Nuclear weapons are not allowed in NZ waters which is what caused the friction as the US will not confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons on any of it's ships

I recall an AB destroyer captain talking about his nukes on board.

 

[KevinG]

Unless 003 passes at least some major performance sea trials, such as EM catapult system operation, I dont think it is realistic to carry out the construction of the follow-up ships. Either another 003 class or a successor. After all, no one could qurantee whether the new technologies applied on 003 will meet the requirements in a real marine environment or not. Minor tests or tests with validated systems may be skipped due to time constraints, excluding critical systems.

If China did launch an aircraft carrier every two year, filling the ship with sailers, pilots and planes will also be very challenging. Unlike US, who decommissioned a CVN before commissioning a new CVN, the overall need for people and equipment does not change, and for people, thanks to automation, the new ship usually needs fewer people.

 

[AndrewS]

The planes, the planes.

It is quite probable that China will pace the building of new carriers in tandem with the development and commissioning of the new JXX carrier capable stealth planes. No point in having too many carriers filled with J15 when the other side has F 35s

There isn't an issue with building more carriers now and filling them with catapult capable J-15, whilst waiting for J-35s to be available.

The Chinese Navy is still in the midst of a large expansion in number of aircraft carriers, and the future airwings can use those J-15s.

And remember that there aren't actually going to be that many F-35s operating from US carriers.