The People's Republic of China surprises the world community with its developments and ambitions more and more every year. The fleet was no exception. Just a couple of decades ago there could have been no talk of powerful naval forces in the Middle Kingdom. However, the events of recent years show that the country has far-reaching plans and is currently fulfilling all its tasks according to the established schedule. Thus, China is among the countries that have aircraft carriers in their arsenal - ships that perform attack functions. This state of affairs fundamentally does not suit the United States, but for now they are forced to only observe the development of the eastern country in the field of shipbuilding.
Today, the Chinese Navy has 1 heavy aircraft carrier in service, the second is undergoing final tests, and the third is located at a shipyard and should be launched by 2022. And even though at the moment these ships are far from the most powerful American ships, in recent years a very big leap has been made in equipping the fleet, which causes respect. In this article we will study in more detail the prerequisites for the appearance of aircraft carrier ships, current Chinese developments and plans for the future.
Buying an Aircraft Carrier as scrap
It is worth noting that China has long been observing the development of shipbuilding in the world. So, he bought his first aircraft carrier back in 1985.
Aircraft carrier "Majestic"
The British "Majestic" - the beginning of the construction of aircraft carriers of this type goes back to 1943, served the Royal Australian Navy for more than 30 years. In 1982 it was decommissioned, and 3 years later the PRC bought the ship as scrap metal. However, no one was in a hurry to dismantle the ship. For many years it was studied and disassembled into layers, meticulously recording all technological developments. And even though it was a very old, non-modern aircraft carrier, the basics of the design could be studied for as long as desired.
All weapons and electrical equipment on the Majestic were removed prior to sale. At the same time, the catapult and aerofinisher remained on the ship. This allowed design engineers to disassemble the mechanisms element by element and clearly see the principle of operation.
The Australian ship was cut only in 2002, when a new aircraft carrier, the Varyag, arrived in China.
The history of the construction of the Varyag aircraft carrier - the future aircraft carrier of China
It was only in the 1980s that the Soviet authorities decided to start building aircraft carriers. Several identical ships were planned, which were to enter service with the country. The first ship was launched on December 4, 1985. This was the future TAVKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". On the same day, a new aircraft carrier, an exact copy of its predecessor, was laid down at the shipyard in the city of Nikolaev (Ukrainian SSR). According to the plans of the Soviet leadership, he was supposed to serve in the Pacific Fleet. Named "Riga", the ship was launched in 1988, after which work continued. After 2 years the name was changed to “Varyag”. The collapse of the Union stopped construction. The conservation of the Varyag occurred at a time when it was 67% completed.
“Voryag” ship model
The difficult financial situation of the country, Ukraine, did not allow us to continue financing the security of the military facility. Therefore, already in 1993, the aircraft carrier was plundered.
Not understanding what to do next with the giant ship, Ukraine announced a tender for the sale of the Varyag. A delegation from Russia headed by Prime Minister Chernomyrdin came to the plant. However, during the same period, the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great was being built in Russia itself. In those years, the country was also in difficult conditions. The material support of the navy, as well as other military facilities, was limited, which means that the leadership could afford to allocate a budget for the construction of only one ship. Yeltsin made a choice in favor of “Peter the Great”.
“Voryag” ship model
In 1998, the travel company Agencia Turistica e Diversoes Chong Lot Limitada, whose legal address was in China, became interested in the purchase. The company planned to build a floating entertainment center on the ship. The deal was done. The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Varyag" was sold for ridiculous money - $20 million. Another $7 million was spent keeping the ship idle until it departed and preparing it for the long voyage.
China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning
The United States even then doubted the veracity of the story with the floating casino. Therefore, they persistently recommended that Turkey not allow the ship to pass through its waters.
2 years after the purchase, in 2000, they decided to transport the Varyag to China. There was a long and difficult journey ahead across three oceans. Do not forget that the ship was not moving - it had neither a rudder nor engines, and therefore it was towed. The journey had many obstacles, the biggest of which was the passage through the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey did not allow the aircraft carrier to pass through; it took 17 months to coordinate and collect the necessary documents. Having managed to come to an agreement, the ship was caught in a storm in the Aegean Sea, as a result of which the towing ends, the cables, broke. The next movements were long, but without serious problems. The Varyag crossed the Mediterranean Sea, entered the Atlantic, completely circumnavigated Africa, entered the Indian Ocean and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. In total, the aircraft carrier sailed in tow for 15 thousand miles.
“Liaoning” model
Some time after the ship docked in China, the world learned that the travel company turned out to be a fake. The real buyers were the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. The US was not mistaken.
For the first three years, the ship was simply studied; only in 2005 did the Chinese begin repairs. Its appearance was dismal and many elements had to be replaced, but the hull and internal structure remained in acceptable condition. In 2011, a Chinese aircraft carrier went to sea for testing on its own for the first time. On September 25, 2012, having received a new name - “Liaoning”, in honor of the province of China, the ship officially entered service.
“Liaoning” model
He is armed with:
- 26 J-15 fighters, which are the Chinese equivalent of the Russian Su-33;
- 6 Chinese Z-18J helicopters with a radio detection and guidance system;
- 6 Chinese anti-submarine helicopters Z-18F;
- 2 multi-purpose helicopters Z-9S - a licensed copy of the French Aérospatiale Dauphin, made in China.
Thus, we can say that historical justice has “triumphed.” During the Soviet years, the aircraft carrier was built for service in the Pacific Ocean, which is exactly what happened.
Nowadays
To date, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has been adopted by the PRC and sent on a long voyage from the port of Qingdao.
To participate in field training and research trials. However, according to many media reports, the Liaoning aircraft carrier was spotted in the port of Tartus. Moreover, a thousand Chinese marines are reported to have appeared with the arrival of the Liaoning aircraft carrier. Tartus also became a haven for a Chinese missile cruiser. However, Western media does not mention this. The arrival of the cruiser is quite understandable. For a long time, China has been dreaming of reviving the Silk Road. And given the growing problems in the countries of the Eastern region, this may not be so simple.
Liaoning at the port
New Chinese aircraft carrier "Shandong" Project 001A
In 2013, China laid down its first aircraft carrier of its own production. It is designed in the likeness of the existing Liaoning. The original name of the project was type 001A. Today, the officially unconfirmed name of the ship, “Shandong,” appeared in the media.
Project 001A aircraft carrier "Shandong"
On April 26, 2022, the ship was launched. The work is currently ongoing. Already in February 2022, the first sea trials are being carried out. According to forecasts, Shandong will be able to join the Chinese Navy in 2022.
Some elements of the vessel have been modernized compared to the Liaoning - an improved radar has been installed, and it can also accommodate an increased amount of fuel and ammunition. This means that it becomes possible to have more aircraft on board - 36 J-15 fighters.
The length of the vessel is 315 meters, width 75 meters. The maximum speed reaches 31 knots. The steam turbine propulsion system remains unchanged compared to the Liaoning, which has Soviet roots.
Main characteristics and weapons
The ship's displacement is 59,500 tons. The length is 304.5 meters and the width is 38 meters (the flight deck is 75 meters). During testing, a speed of approximately 54 km/h was stated. The military personnel number 1,980 people, of which one third are officers.
In terms of armament, the ship is equipped with air defense systems. These are three seven-barreled 30-mm Type 1130 weapons. The missile supply is represented by three eighteen-round FL-3000 missile launchers. The cruiser is home to an air group of 30 J-15 aircraft and another 24 Changhe Z-8.
Future and promising Chinese aircraft carriers
How many more aircraft carriers does China plan to build? Will they use the latest technical developments or will they be just another copy of the Soviet model? Naturally, such information is strictly classified. However, experts were able to find out that by 2030 the Chinese Navy wants to have four aircraft-carrying ships. Considering the events of recent years, these plans do not seem fantastic.
Moreover, immediately after the launch of the Type 001A aircraft carrier, construction of a new ship began in dry dock, which will act as a third floating island for Chinese aviation. According to unofficial sources, this vessel will be large. Its displacement will be 80 thousand tons - the Shandong under construction has 70 thousand tons when fully loaded. It is expected that this ship, unlike the two previous aircraft carriers, will not have a springboard for taking off aircraft. It will be equipped with steam launch catapults. This will allow the use of other types of aircraft. According to forecasts, the ship will be launched in 2021.
Today, China's aircraft carriers, of course, are not able to compete with the main naval giant - the United States of America. Nevertheless, their expanding navy greatly strengthened the country in the political arena. And in the event of a threat from a potential enemy, China has the opportunity to give a worthy rebuff.
Birds for a newborn "Liaoning"
China is a very inventive country - for its newly-made ship, it developed its own variation of the Su-33 carrier-based aircraft, which has the identifier J-15 “flying shark”. Taking off from an aircraft-carrying cruiser requires a certain skill from pilots, so in 2008, construction of a naval aviation test and training complex began to train pilots and train them. The complex is identical to similar bases in the former USSR. To date, the complex has been put into operation.
“Flying Shark” J-15
According to the Ministry of Defense, more than a hundred “flying shark” aircraft have already taken off from the deck of the ship.
Helicopter carriers of the Chinese Navy
China has a difficult relationship with one of its neighbors, Japan. The level of equipment of Japanese modern aircraft carriers carrying helicopters as weapons is forcing China to develop this type of ship as well.
Helicopter carrier Type 075
Thus, the shipbuilding company Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company, located in Shanghai, laid down one of the largest helicopter carriers in the world with landing functions. In official documents it is referred to as Type 075. The length of the vessel is 250 meters, the displacement is within 40 thousand tons. As a comparison, the displacement of the French Mistral is 21.3 thousand tons, and the American Wasp is 40.5 thousand tons.
Type 075
The ship will be able to carry about 30 helicopters of various modifications. His area of responsibility will be patrolling in the South China and East China Seas. At the same time, it will be a landing ship, that is, it will be able to be flooded in order to be able to load and unload military equipment from and to the shore.
The launch of the vessel under construction is scheduled for 2022. Testing will take about another year, after which the helicopter carrier will enter service with the Chinese Navy.
Helicopter carrier Type 071 – “Qinchenshan”
Since 2007, another type of amphibious helicopter carrier, the Qinchenshan, began to enter service with the Chinese Navy. At the moment, 4 of the 6 planned ships are in service. The displacement of each is 19 thousand tons. On board there are 4 Chinese Z-8 multi-purpose helicopters, which are a licensed copy of the French Sud-Aviation SA.321 Super-Frelon. In addition, the ship has 4 air-cushion landing craft. There is capacity to accommodate up to 1000 soldiers.
Type 071 “Qinchenshan”
The vessel can simultaneously perform several tasks:
- Receive helicopters;
- Carry out landing;
- Perform the functions of a floating hospital;
- Serve as a command center should the need arise.
