When is China going to build a Aircraft Carrier?

I ran across some information the other day at work that China has reaffirmed its committement to build two aircraft carriers.

The source of the information stated that the Chinese are pushing for a 2008 time table but the internet sources have and show this to be a bit off.

China's Plan 9985 will be supposedly based on the Russian version of the Kuznetzov aircraft-carrying cruiser, but sources also have stated that China is also looking to buying used aircraft carriers. Example:
"In 1992 China opened discussions with Ukraine to purchase of the Varyag, a 67,500-ton Kiev-class attack aircraft carrier about two-thirds complete and docked at the Black Sea shipyard of Nikolayev, although these negotiations were ultimately fruitless."
Link:
www.fas.org...

These sources also speculate that the Chinese are looking at a 2010 time table as a completion date for their proposed aircraft carriers. I only hope they are not "copies" and have a definite "Chinese flair/design" built into them. Having a few aircraft carriers would make China a bit more credible, if not a very serious growing high-seas threat to the US in the Pacific.

I was wondering if any one had anything to add or an opinion to give on this.....

A picture of the proposed Chinese carrier from the picture of the Kuznetzov:



And some of the proposed specs for that Chinese carrier:

"The proposed Chinese aircraft carrier could be a vessel of 40,000-50,000 tons of displacement, one similar to the French "De Gaulle-Class" nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Given the complexities of developing a new naval reactor considerably larger than the type used on PRC nuclear submarines and that a very long range is not required, conventional steam boilers would be adequate for a Chinese aircraft carrier. Russian designed steam turbines could give the carrier a top speed of 30 knots. The vessels might carry 24 combat aircraft, such as the Sukhoi-30MKK launched by a ski-jump. Below deck might be two missile launchers housing 24 missiles, either the Russian SSN-22 Sunburn or the more advanced Yakhont. China is also reported to be working on a land-attack cruise missile to be mounted on the vessel. China would probably build a carrier at the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard."

Link:
www.globalsecurity.org...

Other links talking of the Chinese aircraft carrier:
www.greenspun.com...



regards
seekerof

[Edited on 8-1-2004 by Seekerof]

I think it will come eventually, but i think they are way to generous with their timelines, considering China has never built anything even approaching the size of an aircraft carrier before. I think there is the possibility that they could buy a used carrier, as they've already been able to buy i think 2 (maybe 3, but i know at least 2) but these had anything approaching military technology ripped out of them, the vessels were basically empty hulls, they were towed to China (and turned into amusement parks i believe). I think it will happen between 2010 and 2015, unless they manage to convince somebody to sell them one, in which case it could be earlier

it will proably resemble the russian 80 ton Ul'yanovsk class aircraft carrier project

The ship would have displaced 80,000 tons and carried as many as 70 aircraft

Plans for a large-deck carrier were subsequently revived under Project #1143.7, which was undertaken at the Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau beginning in 1984. The carrier was laid down in November 1988, but with the end of the Cold War the project was cancelled in November 1991. At that time construction was about 45% complete, and scrapping began in February 1992. The metal prepared for building the second ship of this class was also scrapped.

Name of the game:

Power projection.

Carriers are tools for that..

And think that the whole concept is ***ked up.

People really need to stick with their own 'sand boxes'.

And this goes for all.

I hope they never own one in any form.

If they ever built one it would be crappy like most of the shyte that comes from China.

Carriers are for one thing, and one thing only....power projection. If they are wanting carriers, it also means they are looking to project military power beyond their borders...

Personally, this is not a good sign... I'm curious as to any official Japanese response to this....that can't be good. I think they are more likely to buy existing carriers though, than build their own....

I dont think they'll be able to build anything comparable to the Ul'yanovsk, the size of that carrier completely dwarfs the present shipyard capabilities of the PRC, i think one may be in their future, but much further along, i think the De-Gualle type would be much more likely at first

by the way, the pictures looks like it was of a model of Kuznetzov (older model), Ulyanovsk was going to be a conventional catapault carrier

As most people know alot of China stuff is a copy of Russian stuff.

emm they would not buy an aircraft carrier until they have a very gd surface/sub fleet 2 protect it so they will prob get small ones and then get bigger 1s as the fleet gets bigger anyway spending �100,000,000,000 on a carrier that can be killed by a type 23 frigate would be stupid

note
the type 23 thing works against US cbg's true story british ship just sailed up and sunk her

Originally posted by Russian
As most people know alot of China stuff is a copy of Russian stuff.

and a crappy one at that

China wants the carrier to provide air support in the China sea. Now it is out of effective range of their airforce. Just as Russia used their carrier to provide air support for the baltic fleet China would use theirs for their major body of water out of land based aircraft range.

This single small carrier is not suited for force projection, but rather sea control.

Originally posted by Russian
As most people know alot of China stuff is a copy of Russian stuff.

And russian stuff is a copy of western stuff.

Originally posted by Nerdling

Originally posted by Russian
As most people know alot of China stuff is a copy of Russian stuff.

And russian stuff is a copy of western stuff.

lol what a bunch of bull, everyone copies from another

Originally posted by Nerdling


And russian stuff is a copy of western stuff.

UH?

HAHAHAHA!

Now that is FUNNY.

Russians dont copy westerns.

They make their own to fight back.

Give me a couple of things Russians coped.

Please if you do NOT know the do NOT say anything.

That way people will think you are smarter.

Out,
Russian

Originally posted by Russian

Originally posted by Nerdling


And russian stuff is a copy of western stuff.

UH?

HAHAHAHA!

Now that is FUNNY.

Russians dont copy westerns.

They make their own to fight back.

Give me a couple of things Russians coped.

Please if you do NOT know the do NOT say anything.

That way people will think you are smarter.

Out,
Russian

Of course, the rodina is god.
The rodina does not make mistakes, it does not copy from westerners, even though it spent 30+ years trying to steal plans for every nato weapons system and then brought out a copy months later.

Sector, in one form or another, I would have to agree with what you have mentioned.


regards
seekerof

Yah, we do copy each other, but one thing that made russia a superpower they copied us, NUKES

probably because they are too busy completing land bridges, etc. on their way to march to the middle east.

At this point, money wise, I don't think China wants to buy an aircraft carrier. I do believe though that before the next twenty years, when China's GDP is much higher and extra money is available, China may develop a carrier or two.

Well, on a side not and somewhat off topic....
I am currently playing China in my old SuperPower computer game and have built 14 compared to the US's 12........


Back on topic......from what I have been further finding and reading, it seems that China, silently, has been seeking used aircraft carriers.....France is the lasted prospect (DeGaulle) (sp). In such, they are not specifically going to use these aircraft carriers bought, but will use them to learn from and then incorporate or improve on the current tech gathered and learned to build on their future plans for a aircraft carrier of two, or three....



regards
seekerof