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[Gyro Cadiz]

It is also for "off the wall," questions or suggestions, even from more experienced users on SD.

An off the wall question. I write occasionally for APDR and ADR.

I am picking up some reports, such as from a Conference in Australia late last year, and from some conversations in Singapore more recently, that the PLA-N has studied and evaluated the use of disguised merchant minelayers and even disguised surface raiders in modern warfare.

My contacts say they are looking at how to extend PRC seapower to remote, difficult areas in order to disrupt the normal flow of maritime trade. The Germans did this in both WWI and WWII and the Japanese did it in 1904-05 and in WWII. It was very effective, very cost-efficient and very cheap.

The contacts note that the Maritime Militia's recent activities in the South China Sea and off Palau are seeing larger vessels and more aggressive actions. These may be straws in the wind.

So the question: has anyone seen anything in PRC media or reporting which indicates that the PLA-N is looking or has studied the role of disguised surface raiders or minelayers in modern war?

 

[Tam]

An off the wall question. I write occasionally for APDR and ADR.

I am picking up some reports, such as from a Conference in Australia late last year, and from some conversations in Singapore more recently, that the PLA-N has studied and evaluated the use of disguised merchant minelayers and even disguised surface raiders in modern warfare.

My contacts say they are looking at how to extend PRC seapower to remote, difficult areas in order to disrupt the normal flow of maritime trade. The Germans did this in both WWI and WWII and the Japanese did it in 1904-05 and in WWII. It was very effective, very cost-efficient and very cheap.

The contacts note that the Maritime Militia's recent activities in the South China Sea and off Palau are seeing larger vessels and more aggressive actions. These may be straws in the wind.

So the question: has anyone seen anything in PRC media or reporting which indicates that the PLA-N is looking or has studied the role of disguised surface raiders or minelayers in modern war?

There was an article or paper, recently but I only read about it and I cannot remember the link, that proposed such a measure but it against Chinese merchant shipping.

That is because the role has reversed. It is China that has the biggest merchant navy in the world, not the US whose merchant shipping fleet is a dwarf by comparison. Hence why German WW1/WW2 strategy and Soviet Cold War strategy doesn't work for China, and it is China that is wearing the shoe now that has to think more like the RN WW1/WW2 in terms of naval strategy.

 

[batmanscousin]

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What kind of helmet is that? The visor has vertical slats? Seems so odd.

 

[halflife3]

How does power allocation for naval ships work?
For example, CVN Nimitz class carriers' two A4W reactors generate a total of 1100 MW of power. The power needed to drive its propulsion uses only a max 194 MW. Does that mean the Nimitz uses less than 20% of reactor generated power for propulsion and have 906 MW left for other onboard systems? If so, what are these huge surplus power used for and makes those systems consume so much power?

 

[schenkus]

How does power allocation for naval ships work?
For example, CVN Nimitz class carriers' two A4W reactors generate a total of 1100 MW of power. The power needed to drive its propulsion uses only a max 194 MW. Does that mean the Nimitz uses less than 20% of reactor generated power for propulsion and have 906 MW left for other onboard systems? If so, what are these huge surplus power used for and makes those systems consume so much power?

You have to differentiate between the amount of heat the reactors produce (thermal power, often stated as MWt) and the amount of "usable" power that can be generated from that heat ("shaft power" when it's used directly to drive the ship's shafts or "electric power" when electricity is generated).
Typically only about a third of the energy produced as heat can be used for propulsion or electricity generation.

 

[halflife3]

Does the Liaoning and Shandong have a wash down system like the Nimitz class carriers?

 

[para80]

Does the Liaoning and Shandong have a wash down system like the Nimitz class carriers?

Yes.

 

[The Observer]

Yes.

what is a wash down system? A militarized garden sprinkler system to wash the CV deck?

 

[halflife3]

what is a wash down system? A militarized garden sprinkler system to wash the CV deck?

indeed. Modern western surface warships have them. The Kuznetsov, being a Russian ship, I just wondered if Russia implemented this system on their ships as well.

 

[halflife3]

Are wash down systems present on Soviet/Russian warships?