Ask anything Thread

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Does anyone know what the aircraft makeup of the various carriers will look like? Just saw in the J-15T thread that all J-15Ts for all three carriers have been fulfilled (3x24) but what are the other aircraft that make up each Carrier Air Wing? Also what could a potential Type 004 Carrier air wing look like?

We don't exactly know for sure, other than referring the US carrier air wings (CVWs) of the Nimitz and Ford CVNs and make some rough projections. Though, I suppose that it wouldn't hurt much to make some educated guesses.

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But before that, some notes:

Note #1 - There would be three main categories, each representing PLAN carriers per the respective stages outlined in Project 048.

Note #2 - It should be noted that the following guesses did not take U(C)AVs into account, hence the actual CVW arrangements on PLAN CV/CVNs in the future will differ considerably from what have been tabulated below.

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Category #1 - ~60000-ton CVs (i.e. Liaoning and Shandong):

1x J-15T squadron (10 - 12 units) - fighters
1x J-35 squadron (10 - 12 units) - fighters
1x J-15DT squadron (4 - 6 units) - EW aircraft
1x Z-18J squadron (4 units) - AEW helicopters
1x Z-18F or Z-20F squadron (4 units) - ASW helicopters
1x Z-9C or Z-20J squadron (4 units) - transport/SAR helicopters

It should be noted that the aforementioned arrangement is assumed to hold true for the 2020s and 2030s (and that Shandong is to be retrofitted with the same J-35 operability as Liaoning in the near future).

Category #2 - ~80000-ton CVs (i.e. Fujian and her probable (half-)sister ship):

	Stage 1 (~2020s)	Stage 2 (~2030s)	No. of aircrafts per squadron
J-15T fighters	2x squadrons	1x squadron	10 - 12
J-35 fighters	1x squadron	2x squadrons	10 - 12
J-15DT EW aircrafts	1x squadron	1x squadron	4 - 6
KJ-600 AEW aircrafts	1x squadron	1x squadron	~4
KY-600(?) transport aircrafts	N/A	1x squadron	~2
Z-18F or Z-20F ASW helicopters	1x squadron	1x squadron	~6
Z-9C or Z-20J transport/SAR helicopters	1x squadron	1x squadron	~6

It should be noted that Fujian wasn't designed with the operation of carrier-based 6th-gen fighters (a.k.a. J-XDH from now on) in mind, hence she must undergo retrofitting works before she has the capability to operate J-XDHs. Here, it is assumed that both Fujian and her probable (half-)sister ship have the same limitations and won't be undergoing such retrofits until the mid/late-2030s or even early-2040s.

Category #3 - ~100000-ton CVs/CVNs (i.e. 004/005 and beyond):

	Stage 1 (~2030s)	Stage 2 (~2040s)	No. of aircrafts per squadron
J-15T fighters	1x squadron	N/A	10 - 12
J-35 fighters	2x squadrons	2x squadrons	10 - 12
J-XDH fighters	1x squadron	2x squadrons	10 - 12
J-15DT EW aircrafts	1x squadron	1x squadron	6 - 8
KJ-600 AEW aircrafts	1x squadron	1x squadron	4 - 6
KY-600(?) transport aircrafts	1x squadron	1x squadron	~3
Z-18F or Z-20F ASW helicopters	1x squadron	1x squadron	~6
Z-9C or Z-20J transport/SAR helicopters	1x squadron	1x squadron	~6

It should be noted that here, it is assumed that the J-15Ts would gradually be phased out of PLAN service starting in the early-2040s, with its position and roles onboard the CV/CVNs taken over by the J-XDHs. However, it is anticipated that J-15Ts could still be serving with the older CVs in the PLAN until the early/mid-2050s.

 

[Squadson]

Does the PLA Navy have land attack missile capabilities?

 

[TheWanderWit]

Does the PLA Navy have land attack missile capabilities?

Yes, 055s and 052Ds have land attack capabilities as they use a land-attack variant I believe of the YJ-18. I'm sure YJ-21s can also be used in a land attack mode. As for other ships like the 054A, not really, but technically some 054As with a newer version of the YJ-82s can be used in a land-attack mode, but the likelihood of them being used for that role is little to none depending on circumstances.

The YJ-62 on the 052Cs possibly has land-attack capability, but I'm not too sure. SSNs like the 093B can do land-attack missions, and I'd assume maybe the older 093s and some SSKs (?) like the 039C can from its torpedo tubes, but those are more for anti-ship missions. But for primarily land-attack missions from surface ships, it would come from 052Ds/055s and SSNs like the 093B/095, but land-attack isn't a major mission for the PLAN compared to AAW/ASuW/ASW.

 

[Wrought]

Yes, 055s and 052Ds have land attack capabilities as they use a land-attack variant I believe of the YJ-18. I'm sure YJ-21s can also be used in a land attack mode. As for other ships like the 054A, not really, but technically some 054As with a newer version of the YJ-82s can be used in a land-attack mode, but the likelihood of them being used for that role is little to none depending on circumstances.

The YJ-62 on the 052Cs possibly has land-attack capability, but I'm not too sure. SSNs like the 093B can do land-attack missions, and I'd assume maybe the older 093s and some SSKs (?) like the 039C can from its torpedo tubes, but those are more for anti-ship missions. But for primarily land-attack missions from surface ships, it would come from 052Ds/055s and SSNs like the 093B/095, but land-attack isn't a major mission for the PLAN compared to AAW/ASuW/ASW.

Did we ever get confirmation of CJ-10 integration with UVLS? I vaguely remember some rumours about that.

 

[TheWanderWit]

Did we ever get confirmation of CJ-10 integration with UVLS? I vaguely remember some rumours about that.

They don't use CJ/DF-10 with UVLS on DDGs. They use a land-attack variant of YJ-18s, or it has a dual role. CJ/DF-10 is not compatible.

 

[Lethe]

We've all read and dismissed the mostly American propaganda that PLAN is the world's largest navy, courtesy of the brilliant innovation of counting 022 missile boats alongside Nimitz-class supercarriers. Yet even using more sensible criteria, we are indeed approaching something of a crossover point, at least insofar as the surface combatant inventory is concerned:



Projected changes between today and end 2029:

PLAN:
New ships: 6 055s, 9 052Ds (including DDG-126 Heze which is to be commissioned imminently), 6 054As.
Retirements: 2 052s.

USN
New ships: 10 Burkes, 1 Zumwalt, 1 Freedom, 1 Constellation.
Retirements: 9 Ticos, 5 Burkes, 1 Freedom, 2 Independence.

For USN I am using the March 2024 shipbuilding plan available

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, though I have truncated Constellation numbers from that document owing to

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that FFG-62 is now not anticipated to deliver until 2029, and subsequent units have yet to be laid down. The greatest uncertainty over the period is just how many of the ships that USN has penciled in for retirement will actually be permitted to retire.

For PLAN there is of course some uncertainty at both ends of the spectrum. I have only included ships for which there is currently visual evidence of construction.

 

[cornerodriguez]

Todos hemos leído y descartado la propaganda, mayoritariamente estadounidense, de que la PLAN es la armada más grande del mundo, gracias a la brillante innovación de contar con lanchas lanzamisiles 022 junto con los superportaaviones clase Nimitz . Sin embargo, incluso con criterios más sensatos, nos estamos acercando a un punto de inflexión, al menos en lo que respecta al inventario de combate de superficie.

View attachment 156032

Cambios proyectados entre hoy y finales de 2029:

PLAN:
Nuevos buques: 6 055, 9 052D (incluido el DDG-126 Heze , cuya entrada en servicio será inminente ), 6 054A.
Jubilaciones: 2.052 s.

Marina de Estados Unidos
Nuevos barcos: 10 Burkes, 1 Zumwalt, 1 Freedom, 1 Constellation.
Jubilaciones: 9 Ticos, 5 Burkes, 1 Freedom, 2 Independence.

Para la Armada de los Estados Unidos (USN), utilizo el plan de construcción naval de marzo de 2024, disponible

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. Sin embargo, he truncado las cifras de Constellation de ese documento debido a

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de que no se prevé la entrega del FFG-62 hasta 2029, y las unidades posteriores aún no se han puesto en grada. La mayor incertidumbre durante este período radica en cuántos de los buques que la USN tiene previstos para su retiro podrán ser retirados.

En el caso de PLAN, por supuesto, existe cierta incertidumbre en ambos extremos del espectro. Solo he incluido los barcos cuya construcción actualmente cuenta con evidencia visual

We've all read and dismissed the mostly American propaganda that PLAN is the world's largest navy, courtesy of the brilliant innovation of counting 022 missile boats alongside Nimitz-class supercarriers. Yet even using more sensible criteria, we are indeed approaching something of a crossover point, at least insofar as the surface combatant inventory is concerned:

View attachment 156032

Projected changes between today and end 2029:

PLAN:
New ships: 6 055s, 9 052Ds (including DDG-126 Heze which is to be commissioned imminently), 6 054As.
Retirements: 2 052s.

USN
New ships: 10 Burkes, 1 Zumwalt, 1 Freedom, 1 Constellation.
Retirements: 9 Ticos, 5 Burkes, 1 Freedom, 2 Independence.

For USN I am using the March 2024 shipbuilding plan available

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

, though I have truncated Constellation numbers from that document owing to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

that FFG-62 is now not anticipated to deliver until 2029, and subsequent units have yet to be laid down. The greatest uncertainty over the period is just how many of the ships that USN has penciled in for retirement will actually be permitted to retire.

For PLAN there is of course some uncertainty at both ends of the spectrum. I have only included ships for which there is currently visual evidence of construction.

Hi. Yes, that's American propaganda. I'm sure they won't use the 022s in case of conflict. They'll leave them in the anchorages. Hahaha.
Nor will the entire fleet of "sea militiamen" be used, nor will the civilian ro-ro

 

[Racek49]

We've all read and dismissed the mostly American propaganda that PLAN is the world's largest navy, courtesy of the brilliant innovation of counting 022 missile boats alongside Nimitz-class supercarriers. Yet even using more sensible criteria, we are indeed approaching something of a crossover point, at least insofar as the surface combatant inventory is concerned:

View attachment 156032

Projected changes between today and end 2029:

PLAN:
New ships: 6 055s, 9 052Ds (including DDG-126 Heze which is to be commissioned imminently), 6 054As.
Retirements: 2 052s.

USN
New ships: 10 Burkes, 1 Zumwalt, 1 Freedom, 1 Constellation.
Retirements: 9 Ticos, 5 Burkes, 1 Freedom, 2 Independence.

For USN I am using the March 2024 shipbuilding plan available

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

, though I have truncated Constellation numbers from that document owing to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

that FFG-62 is now not anticipated to deliver until 2029, and subsequent units have yet to be laid down. The greatest uncertainty over the period is just how many of the ships that USN has penciled in for retirement will actually be permitted to retire.

For PLAN there is of course some uncertainty at both ends of the spectrum. I have only included ships for which there is currently visual evidence of construction.

Of course, it is very important how many the US can deploy on the Pacific battlefield and how many it must leave in the Atlantic. And the mandatory involvement of its allies in the event of a conflict is currently under discussion.