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Chinese nuclear aircraft carrier. How Beijing got its own long deck

Stormy economic development The People's Republic of China is increasingly affecting the growth of the capabilities of its armed forces. Today, one of the directions for developing the combat potential of the PLA is the formation of aircraft carrier strike groups as part of the Chinese Navy. The aircraft carrier "Liaoning" opens a series of articles on this topic.

According to Japanese military experts, the military-political leadership of the PRC has repeatedly authorized the development of an aircraft carrier by the forces of the national military-industrial complex.

The first attempt to design a ship for the simultaneous actions of aviation and amphibious assault forces was made as part of the "Project 707". The project was approved in July 1970, closed in September 1971. Work on a new ship to ensure aviation operations received the designation "Project 891" (approved in January 1989, closed in 1998).

TAVK "Varyag"

Obviously, the curtailment of the second development took into account the acquisition in 2002 in Ukraine for 20 million US dollars of the unfinished Soviet heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser Varyag. The ship was towed to Shipyard No. 1 in Dalian (northeast China). Ukrainian shipbuilders were also invited to the plant. The latter acted under the guise of a company that repairs ships under the Register.

Chinese experts admit that close acquaintance with the ship and its designers allowed them to save 8-10 years only on research and development work. According to Chinese sources, the decision to repair and modernize the Varyag was made by the PLA Navy Command on April 26, 2005.

The aircraft carrier Liaoning received its name on September 25, 2012 in honor of the province in which the city of Dalian is located.

The main stages of construction

To modernize the aircraft carrier, an indoor assembly shop and a dry dock were built on the territory of the shipyard. Their length is 400 and 360 m, respectively. These structures will allow building larger nuclear aircraft-carrying ships in the future.

Let us note the main milestones in the process of completion and preparation of the first aircraft carrier of the PLA Navy.

The future aircraft carrier Liaoning was brought into dry dock in April 2005 to inspect the underwater part and start work on the slipway. The work was actually completed by July 27, 2011. The total cost of the work carried out is estimated at 10 billion yuan. During this period, Chinese shipbuilders from Dalian and Shanghai have gone through a serious practice. According to the calculations of Chinese engineers, the Liaoning aircraft carrier, which was officially commissioned into the PLA Navy on September 25, 2012, should serve for 35 years.

As a result of the redesign of the interior of the ship and the installation of a modern digital equipment the standard displacement of Liaoning is 55 thousand tons. Its total displacement reaches 67.5 thousand tons. The crew consists of one thousand people.

Sea trips

The ship went on its maiden voyage on October 30, 2012. Already a month later, on November 23, 2012, naval aviation pilots in Jian-15 heavy fighters made their first deck landings. As of September 21, 2013, the pilots of the first carrier-based fighter aviation regiment completed 100 takeoffs and landings. This made it possible to test the brake cable system for strength under conditions of high flight intensity.

Aircraft carrier "Liaoning"

On January 2, 2014, the Liaoning aircraft carrier went on a training and test campaign lasting 37 days. During the trip, the first crew of the ship gained experience in using radio navigation systems, checked all the installed radars, the flight control system (SMS), worked out the actions of the deck crew.

When organizing the work of the ship's crew, the experience of the US Navy was used. This means that all crew members, depending on their mission, wear vests of a certain color: white for the air traffic control group, red for weapons, purple for fuel, green for maintenance and repair, etc.

On the deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning

With regard to the EMS of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, it is known that one shift consists of six military personnel. They monitor the situation on deck with 16 video cameras. high definition. Information from the cameras is transmitted to four widescreen monitors. In addition, the CMS duty shift has a transparent large-scale model of the flight deck and hangar, which reflects the current situation on the ship.

Aircraft carrier "Liaoning" - the core of the AUG

On December 24, 2015, the first exercises were held to coordinate the actions of the crews of warships of the promising aircraft carrier strike group (AUG) of the PLA Navy. In addition, there were control measures training of the second group of carrier-based fighter pilots.

A year later, on December 23, 2016, the first carrier-based aviation exercises took place over the Yellow Sea. During the event, the fighter pilots performed aerial refueling and conducted several training battles against a mixed squadron of the Eastern Fleet of the PLA Navy.

Fighters on the deck of the Liaoning

It should be noted that the crews of the ships began training for these mock battles as early as December 15, 2016. During the preparatory period, the following were practiced:

issues of early detection of air targets and early warning of air attack;
electronic interception of targets;
electronic missile launches against imaginary enemy surface ships;
anti-missile defense techniques.

Based on the results of these exercises, already on January 2, 2017, the Liaoning aviation group began new training activities, but now over the waters of the South China Sea.

Formation of the AUG

As part of the subsequent exercises of the AUG of the PLA Navy, the project 052C destroyers Changchun, Jinan and Yantai were introduced into its structure. The ships of this project form the basis of the AUG air defense.

In April 2018, the PLA Navy AUG conducted joint exercises with the Air Force. Their goal was anti-submarine defense and the reflection of massive raids by bomber aircraft of a potential enemy. The tasks of the exercises were worked out in the waters of the South China and East China Seas, as well as in the western regions of the Pacific Ocean.

Currently, the Liaoning aircraft carrier is located at the quay wall of the shipyard in Dalian. The ship is awaiting the replacement of a three-coordinate radar for early detection of air targets, some units and electronic systems with more modern ones.

Aircraft carrier "Liaoning" - design features

It is known that the Chinese and Ukrainian specialists did not begin to remodel the flight deck and left the springboard with a rise of 14 degrees. However, a complete replacement of the ship's air defense system was carried out. Some experts in the PRC argue that the Chinese designers have unnecessarily simplified and even weakened it. The ship was equipped with only three 30 mm H / PJ-11 eleven-barreled anti-aircraft guns (also known as Type 1130) and three mechanized launchers of the Naval Red Banner 10 missile defense system.

Engines and fuel

Chinese specialists in the field of ship power plants were able to copy boiler turbine units (KTA) Soviet-made. In China, they received the designation TV-12 (according to other sources, TY-12).

According to Chinese sources, the Liaoning aircraft carrier received four KTA TV-12s with a total capacity of 150,000 hp. Additionally, 8 more high-pressure KTAs were installed (they work on diesel fuel), which provide another 50 thousand hp.

This KTA complex allows Liaoning to confidently maintain a speed of 30 knots for five hours. It should be noted that Chinese engineers are carefully analyzing the capabilities of KTA Russian production KVG-6M (they have three-dimensional drawings and drawings). In their opinion, the units will allow the only Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser to show all its capabilities.

The standard and maximum capacity of fuel tanks (fuel oil) is 6,000 and 8,000 tons, respectively. According to observers of Chinese military-technical publications, to fully prepare an aircraft carrier for a cruise, it takes from three (with high-pressure CTAs operating) to 10 hours.

It is known that Chinese specialists are studying the possibility of using two heavy gas turbine engines R0110. According to the tests carried out, the engines develop a maximum power of 150 thousand hp. (114500 kW) and have a resource of 200 thousand hours.

Two such gas turbine engines will allow the Liaoning aircraft carrier to easily reach a speed of 35 knots, and heavier promising ships will provide a speed of 30 knots. It should be noted that the appearance of such turbines, as well as the mass production of some components of carrier-based fighters, became possible after the appearance in China of a hydraulic press providing a pressure of 80,000 tons.

Calculations, calculations

According to data obtained during several maritime combat training campaigns, with constant speed 18 knots (the minimum permitted speed for carrier-based fighter flights) the ship consumes 390 tons of fuel oil. This allows him to overcome about 780 km. Thus, one refueling of 6 thousand tons of fuel is enough for such an aircraft carrier as the Liaoning only for 12 days of the trip.

With a fuel oil price of 2,169 yuan per ton, the cost of such a short-term entry to the sea is 13 million yuan, or about 130 million rubles. Traditionally, the duration of the combat training campaign of the Liaoning aircraft carrier is 38-40 days. At the same time, the maximum combat radius of the ship is more than 4200 miles. The cost of marine fuel alone for such a period of combat training reaches 31 million yuan, or 310 million rubles.

Aviation group

According to Japanese sources, Chinese and Ukrainian designers decided to partially remove the vertical launchers of P-700 anti-ship missiles located under the flight deck.

Heavy carrier-based fighter Jian-15

However, even this small upgrade made it possible to increase the capacity of the aircraft hangar. As a result, it became possible to place 24 Jian-15 heavy fighters, i.e. standard regiment of three squadrons. With the price of one Jian-15 fighter about 400 million yuan, the cost of a regimental set (25 aircraft) reaches 10 billion yuan, and a brigade (36 aircraft) already 15 billion yuan.

In addition to aircraft, the Liaoning aircraft carrier has 12 helicopters for various purposes as part of the carrier-based air group. Among them are six Z-18F anti-submarine defense (ASD) helicopters, four Z-18Y long-range radar patrol (DRD) helicopters and four Z-9C search and rescue service (PSS) helicopters.

At the same time, during all combat training campaigns, only half of the indicated number of rotorcraft was deployed on the ship. It should be noted that most surface ships of the PLA Navy carry Z-9 Black Panther PLO helicopters, which in the future can be replaced by heavier Z-20s.

Preliminary results and prospects

It seems possible to assert that almost five years after the commissioning of the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" justified the cost of its creation. The ship allowed:

prepare the first fully combat-ready regiment of carrier-based pilots;
train instructors for training units;
check the reliability of landing system components;
conduct exercises as part of an aircraft carrier strike group, as well as interspecific exercises with the PLA Air Force and solve other tasks.

According to specialized publications of the PRC, the Chinese military and shipbuilders are considering several options for modernizing the Liaoning as a future training ship.

As part of the first option, it is proposed to increase the flat part of the flight deck by dismantling several air defense systems. Gas deflectors will also be removed from the two farthest starting positions.

According to the second option, it is planned to replace the springboard part of the deck with a straight one and install two electromagnetic catapults (EMC) on the ship.

Basically, all EMC systems and components are modular and mounted in the frames of standard 40 and 20 foot shipping containers. The exception is the guide line, which will have to be embedded on the deck of an aircraft carrier. For this decision, a group of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences under the leadership of Academician Rear Admiral Ma Weiming received a state award.

To be continued…

According to the materials of the magazine "Ship weapons". Beijing. Publishing House of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

On the morning of April 26, China launched its first aircraft carrier own production. Prior to that, the Chinese Navy had only one ship of this type - the Liaoning, built on the basis of the Soviet cruiser Varyag. But, according to the Chinese themselves, this is only the beginning. The plans include the creation of six aircraft carrier strike groups and ten naval bases around the world.

Xu Guanyu, a retired major general and senior adviser at the Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said in the Chinese Ministry of Defense newspaper PLA Daily last Friday that China would build ten bases for its aircraft carriers, preferably on all continents of the world, but this will depend on China's relations with various countries.

In addition to the aircraft carriers themselves, attack submarines and destroyers with guided missile weapons will be based there. The stated goal of creating aircraft carrier groups, according to PLA Daily, is to provide a "breakthrough" for the Chinese fleet through the first chain of islands (Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines) and the establishment of Chinese influence in the western Pacific.

Second and third aircraft carriers

The new Chinese aircraft carrier Type 001A is due to enter service in 2020, it is planned to base from 28 to 36 Jian-15 (J-15) fighters on board. The ship has not yet received a name and goes under the name CV-17. Its construction took only two years. For comparison: the former "Varyag" was bought in 1998, and it was put into operation only in 2012.

Western analysts note that the construction of the largest warship in the history of the country gives China invaluable industrial experience. Despite the fact that the new CV-17 is very similar to the Liaoning, there is nothing to worry about. For example, American aircraft carriers Nimitz-type ships have been built according to the same model for 40 years, but this is what allows the shipbuilding industry to take a step forward and enter new classes of ships.

Expert about the new Chinese aircraft carrier: this is a modernized Soviet projectThe launching of the second Chinese aircraft carrier marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of China's aircraft carrier fleet. This opinion was expressed by the director of the Ho Chi Minh Institute Vladimir Kolotov on Sputnik radio.

At the same time, experts note that the CV-17 cannot yet become the core of an aircraft carrier strike group, as it does not have the appropriate range of autonomous operations, depends on ground-based air reconnaissance (it is unable to launch aircraft with an early warning system) and carries too few aircraft. .

Meanwhile, work is already underway in Shanghai on a third Chinese aircraft carrier, the Type 002, which may be nuclear-powered and look more like American designs like the Gerald Ford than Soviet models.

Base in Djibouti

As for the ten bases, it's still a stretch to call the only overseas Chinese naval base, or "point of support," facilities in Djibouti in East Africa. A year ago, the Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that it was conducting construction works, and China first used the base during the evacuation of its citizens from Yemen in the spring of 2015, after which it began negotiations on a permanent presence.

Chinese military experts say that although soldiers will be stationed at the base, it will still be different from its neighbors in Djibouti - the military bases of France and the United States. First of all, it will serve as a service point for Chinese ships in the region, and will also allow you to keep abreast of shipping through the Suez Canal. However, it will also serve to support the operations of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean and to more quickly respond to events in North Africa and the Middle East.

Shen Dingli, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai, said the US has developed its business around the world and sent its military to protect its interests for 150 years. Now it's time for China to do the same.

Other bases in theory

Prior to the establishment of a base in Djibouti, the Chinese Navy used the port of Victoria in the Seychelles for refueling ships and resting sailors on a par with the navies of other countries. True, in this case, China went further and donated a patrol boat to the Seychelles Coast Guard as a token of gratitude for receiving their warships.

Today, Beijing is involved in commercial infrastructure projects at Gwadar Port in Pakistan on the Arabian Sea and Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka. And although the projects are commercial, in the same Gwadar, China offers Pakistani services to ensure port security. Xu Guanyu also talks about the possible creation of a Chinese naval base in Gwadar.

In 2014, Chinese submarines docked at the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Moreover, they did it in a container terminal owned by the Chinese commercial company, and not in the usual mooring place for naval ships of other countries of the world.

In the Maldives, China is investing in the iHavan port infrastructure project as part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road concept. It is expected that the Maldives will not be able to pay off huge debts, and, in fact, all facilities in the future will come under the control of Beijing as in commercial terms, and in the military if necessary.

Under the “politics is big economy” formula, China could theoretically deploy coastal infrastructure based on its commercial assets in other countries, without necessarily resorting to existing overseas port services used by other countries' navies.

It should be noted that rumors about China's plans to create 18 naval bases across the oceans have been circulating for many years, at least since 2014. Xinhua News Agency at one time "recommended" the creation of bases in such ports as: Chongjin (North Korea), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Koh Lanta (Thailand), Sittwe (Myanmar), Djibouti, Maldives, Seychelles, Gwadar (Pakistan), Dhaka Port (Bangladesh), Lagos (Nigeria), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Mombasa (Kenya), Luanda (Angola), Walvis Bay (Namibia) , Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).

Few people believe that China will be able to gain a foothold in all these points and, moreover, open bases there, but it can be recalled that in 2014 no one believed in the Chinese base in Djibouti either. However, today it is already a reality.

China purchased from Ukraine in 1998 an unfinished aircraft carrier of the former Soviet navy"Varyag" and in 2002, finally, he received it. After a significant refit at a shipyard in the city of Dalian in northern China, the ship was commissioned in September 2012 and renamed Liaoning in honor of the northeastern province. The main task of the ship is to serve as a training ground for the Chinese Navy to gain experience in operating a modern aircraft carrier, as well as to develop and improve technologies that will be used in the design and construction of ships of this class.

Decay product

Previously, the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" was called the heavy aircraft carrier "Riga". It was the second ship of Project 1143.5 (class "Admiral Kuznetsov") of the Soviet Navy. The 67,500-ton vessel was laid down at the Chernomorsky Shipyard in Nikolaev, Ukraine on 12/06/85 and launched on 12/04/88. Renamed Varyag in July 1990. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, ownership of it was transferred to Ukraine. Due to lack of funding in 1992, construction was stopped. By that time, 70% of the aircraft carrier had been built. Structurally, the vessel was completed, but there was no armament, electronics and running gear.

China first showed interest in buying Varyag in 1992. Chinese officials inspected the ship, which was docked, but negotiations proved fruitless over a price dispute. As a result, the unfinished Varyag remained in the dock unattended for 6 years. In the late 1990s, the ship was auctioned and bought by a Chinese company from Macau for US$20 million to be converted into a floating casino and amusement park. The contract with Ukraine forbade the buyer to use the ship for military purposes. Before the sale, all military airborne equipment was dismantled.

From a floating casino to the flagship of the Chinese Navy

In 1999, 11 years after launching, the Varyag finally left the dock, driven by several powerful tugboats to the Far East. However, the ship was refused passage through the Bosphorus by the Turkish government on the grounds that the ship was de-energized and posed too much of a risk to other ships and facilities in the strait. "Varyag" was near the strait for three years. After the Chinese government intervened and gave Turkey US$1 million as a guarantee in 2001, the ship was finally allowed to proceed.

November 4 "Varyag" got into a 10-point storm and broke anchor near the Greek island of Skyros. After many failed attempts to regain control of the vessel, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter evacuated 7 crew members. After a fall while trying to attach the tow ropes, the sailor of the tug Haliva Champion died. The ship was taken back under control the same day.

After a hectic journey, the Varyag finally arrived at the Dalian shipyard in northern China in March 2002 and was under heavy guard there. By that time, it became obvious that the ship would never be turned into an amusement park. Instead, it was handed over for research and restoration. Together with the ship, China received drawings and project documentation. In 2005, the aircraft carrier was moved to drydock at the Dalian Shipyard and painted in Chinese Navy Grey.

Restoration work was completed at the end of 2006. The ship was then moved to another drydock in April 2009 to install engines and other heavy equipment. Installation began at the end of 2010. By March 2011, the superstructure on the upper deck was almost complete, painting completed and scaffolding removed.

"Research Vessel"

In June 2011, the head of the People's Liberation Army headquarters, General Chen Bingde, confirmed that China was building an aircraft carrier. This was the first official recognition of the existence of such a project. On July 27, China's Ministry of National Defense said it had re-equipped the ship for "scientific research, experimentation and training purposes." The first four-day sea trials of the ship took place in August, and then a second series of tests began in December, before she was returned to the factory for final work.

On September 25, 2012, the ship was officially commissioned under the new name of the Liaoning aircraft carrier (CV-16). In November, the Department of Defense confirmed that Chinese J-15 fighter jets had successfully completed a stop-and-take-off and stop-and-go landing on it. The Chinese press suggests that the training of the crew will continue for 4-5 years until the ship reaches its maximum potential.

carrier-based aviation

The flagship of the PRC fleet, the Liaoning aircraft carrier, has a short runway equipped with an air finish. Take-off is facilitated by the presence of a nose ski jump at an angle of 14 °. The deck is equipped with brake cables. Two lifts on the starboard side move the aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck.

The Liaoning aircraft carrier is capable of carrying 24 "flying sharks" - Shenyang J-15 carrier-based multi-role fighters, including their two-seat version - the J-15S training fighter. In addition, it transports several types of shipborne helicopters, including Chinese-made Changhe Z-18, Z-18J AEW and Z-18F ASW, Harbin Z-9, and Ka-31 helicopters. Total transported aircraft - 36 units.

Armament

The Varyag was originally equipped with the Granit (SS-N-9 Shipwreck) anti-ship missile system. The launcher was dismantled before the ship was sold to China, and the missile base was removed during the conversion to increase the size of the aircraft hangar.

The Liaoning aircraft carrier is equipped with a short-range air defense system, which consists of 4 HQ-10 (FL-3000N) air defense missile systems, each with an 18-missile launcher similar to the RIM-116 system used by the US Navy. A modification of the TY-90 short-range air-to-air missile, the HQ-10 is equipped with a dual passive radar, an infrared homing head and has a maximum range of 9000 m. Its improved version is equipped with an independent active infrared head and has a maximum range of 10000 m.

In addition, the Liaoning aircraft carrier is equipped with two type 1030 short-range weapons systems, which are a 10-barrel version of the type 730 CIWS system. The 10-barreled 30mm cannon is supplied with 2 boxes of 500 rounds of ammunition. One magazine is usually loaded with armor-piercing detachable cartridges. Empty shells are ejected forward from the bottom of the system. The gun is controlled from the outside, with a maximum rate of fire of 3.5-6 thousand rounds / min. Its firing range is limited to 3000 m, but targets are usually hit at a distance of 1000-1500 m.

Communication and target detection systems

China's aircraft carrier "Liaoning" is equipped with the following navigational instruments:

airborne target detection radar type 382 Eagle S / C (mounted at the top of the mast);
maritime radar;
fire control radar HQ-10 SAM;
Type 346 airborne target detection radar with a set of four active electronically scanned antenna arrays on the bridge;
aircraft radar;
navigation radar;
communication antenna;
satellite communication antenna.

Power point

The aircraft carrier "Liaoning" is equipped with a standard power plant, similar to the installation of the ship "Admiral Kuznetsov" of the Russian Navy. Consists of 8 boilers and four steam turbines 50000 l. With. each. The vessel is equipped with four shafts with fixed pitch propellers.

Aircraft carrier Liaoning: Tartus

In September 2015, there were reports that the flagship of the Chinese fleet had passed the Suez Canal and was moving towards the coast of Syria. An Israeli military intelligence website claimed that the Liaoning aircraft carrier was escorted by a missile cruiser. The arrival of military aircraft and helicopters was expected by mid-November directly from China via Iran or with the help of Russian transport aircraft based on a ship and Russian base near Latakia.

The expert denied this information. He also assured that the PRC will not support any groups or individuals in Syria, adhering to a fair and objective approach to this issue. In addition, a Syrian military source said that no Chinese warship has entered Syrian territorial waters.

South China Sea tension

Where is the Liaoning aircraft carrier now? The vessel is located near Chinese territorial waters and serves as a show of force in a region where tensions have been rising for decades, as well as for crew and naval aviation training. After all, a second ship of this class will soon be built, but exclusively of its own production. A springboard will again be used to launch aircraft, which, although it allows aircraft to carry more cargo, cannot be compared with the power of electromagnetic catapults used on almost all US Navy aircraft carriers.

With two ships of this class, China will become a member of the elite club - only Italy and India have such a number of active ships. It stands apart with the ten largest warships in the world.

How Beijing got its own long deck.
On the morning of April 26, the first Chinese-built aircraft carrier was launched in the Chinese city of Dalian. To the creation of this ship based on the project of the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" (in the past - the Soviet heavy aircraft carrier cruiser"Varangian") China has been going on for more than 30 years.

Her Majesty's Australian ship...

... "Melbourne" (HMAS Melbourne) had a long history. Laid down in April 1943 by order of the Royal Navy and launched in February 1945 under the name Majestic, the new aircraft carrier was the first ship built according to an improved version. lung project naval aircraft carrier in 1942. This project was caused by the need to dramatically increase the number of aircraft carriers due to losses in the early years of the war. The ships were to be built by civilian shipyards using commercial shipbuilding techniques, but would have characteristics that would allow them to operate in conjunction with the fleet, unlike escort aircraft carriers, which were used primarily to cover convoys.

From June 1, 1942 to November 27, 1943, 16 ships were laid down at various British shipyards, including 10 according to the original project (Colossus-class aircraft carriers) and 6 according to the improved one (Majestic type). Only the head "Colossus", which entered service in December 1944, managed to take part in the hostilities in the Pacific Ocean. Most of the ships of the new project were commissioned after the war and with significant delays. Among them was the Majestic, which was handed over to the customer 10 years after launching, in 1955, and this customer was not the British Royal Navy, but at that time already a separate, albeit closely related structure.

Renamed "Melbourne" and given tail number R21, the ship served with the Australian Royal Navy for almost 30 years. During this time, he made a number of long trips, both training and related to entering combat service, participated in exercises, was reclassified from a light multi-purpose aircraft carrier to an anti-submarine aircraft carrier, sank two destroyers in navigational accidents - the Australian Voyager in February 1964 and the American Evans in June 1969, and finally in the summer of 1982 was put into reserve. Three years later, the ship was sold for scrap to China for A$1.4 million.

However, China was in no hurry to cut the resulting aircraft carrier into metal. He became important element China's aircraft carrier program, despite the fact that Chinese military expert Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong, son of the founder of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Zhang Aiping, claimed that the PLA Navy was not aware of the Melbourne purchase before its arrival in Guangzhou.

The study and disassembly (in fact - layer-by-layer dissection) of the ship lasted a very long time. Armament and electronic equipment were dismantled from the aircraft carrier before it was handed over to China, but the steam catapult, aerofinisher and optical landing drive system remained in place. Finally, "Melbourne" was cut already in 2002, when the "Varyag" purchased in Ukraine arrived in China.

In the photo: "Majestic", renamed "Melbourne"

Soviet project...

Under the index 1143 had a complicated history. Long-term discussions in the Soviet leadership about the needs of the Soviet Navy in aircraft carriers and their preferred appearance led to the emergence of strange hybrids - aircraft-carrying cruisers designed to operate aircraft. vertical takeoff and landing and helicopters equipped with powerful strike weapons. Four ships of this type - "Kyiv", "Minsk", "Novorossiysk" and "Baku" - became the first Soviet ships capable of using combat aircraft from the deck. The experience of their operation, however, made the Soviet leadership and industry realize the need to return to the "classical" aircraft carrier school, which involved the construction of aircraft carriers that ensure the operation of conventional takeoff and landing aircraft.

The first such ship was the fifth pennant in the 1143 family, now part of the Russian Navy under the name "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov." Approaching in size to the US Navy supercarriers, equipped with a corner deck, springboard and arrester, the Kuznetsov (laid down in 1982 as the Riga, renamed in the same year on the slipway into the Leonid Brezhnev and tested after launching in 1985 as "Tbilisi") is capable of operating classic aircraft, including such overall ones as the Su-33 - a carrier-based version of the Su-27 heavy fighter.

On November 25, 1988, the sixth ship of the 1143 family, TAVKR Riga, left the slipway number "0" of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant (after renaming its predecessor to Brezhnev, they decided not to offend the Baltic Republic). Two years later, on the eve of the collapse of the USSR, it was renamed Varyag. Then "Tbilisi" was renamed in honor of the famous Soviet Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and "Baku" - in honor of his long-term successor Sergei Gorshkov.

"Kuznetsov", already undergoing tests, managed to be transferred to the Northern Fleet before the collapse of the USSR. "Varyag", according to some experts, before the withdrawal to the sea, which would allow the ship to be withdrawn for subsequent completion in the interests of the Russian Navy, just a few weeks were not enough. As a result, the aircraft carrier remained at the outfitting wall of ChSY and went to independent Ukraine.

Decay Soviet Union actually killed the domestic aircraft carrier program. In 1992, the completion of the nuclear aircraft carrier Ulyanovsk was canceled, which was supposed to be the first of the Soviet aircraft carriers to receive catapults. Work on the Varyag is suspended. In 1993, "Kyiv", "Minsk" and "Novorossiysk" were sent for conservation, in 1994, after a fire, "Admiral Gorshkov" stood up to the wall.

Having received the Varyag at its disposal, Ukraine began to look for a buyer. It quickly became clear that Russia would not become one, even though supporters of the completion of the aircraft carrier organized a visit to the ship by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. According to some experts, Boris Yeltsin's decision to complete the construction of the Yury Andropov nuclear missile cruiser (now known as Peter the Great) at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg put an end to the fate of the Varyag. There was no money in the budget for a second large ship, and even one being built by a Ukrainian enterprise.

"Kyiv", "Minsk" and "Novorossiysk" were sold quite quickly. "Kyiv" was more fortunate than the rest: the first Soviet aircraft-carrying cruiser, which retained its name on board, became part of the naval museum in Tianjin. Business project for the conversion of "Minsk", which was turned into a floating Entertainment Center, did not bring great success, and Novorossiysk was cut into metal in South Korea.

"Kyiv" and "Minsk" were studied, including by Chinese naval specialists, but the Varyag was of greatest interest to them. The ship, sold in 1998, was towed to China in 2000-2002. The buyer was Chong Lot Travel Agency Ltd, which was officially going to rebuild the aircraft carrier into a floating entertainment center. Soon, however, it became clear that this ship was unlikely to turn into an entertainment facility.

Project 001 aircraft carrier "Liaoning", which received tail number 16, was commissioned into the Naval Forces of the People's Liberation Army of China in September 2012. In the spring of 2015, work began on the construction of a project 001A ship at the dock. April 26, 2017, after spending about two years in the dock, she was launched. The name of the ship is still unknown, according to some reports, it is called "Shandong".

The new Chinese aircraft carrier, an almost exact reproduction of the Liaoning, should enter the fleet by 2020-2021. The composition of his air group is vaguely known: it will be based on J-15 type fighters (a Chinese copy of the Soviet Su-33 carrier-based aircraft), and in the future - carrier-based versions of the J-16 two-seat fighter, including a specialized electronic warfare aircraft J-16D. China is also developing a carrier-based "flying radar", it is known about the existence of an experimental machine with the JZY-01 index.

Already when the new ship was launched into the water, attentive observers drew attention to the metal structures next to the construction dock. Some experts believe that this may indicate the imminent start of work on the third ship. What it will be - we do not know yet, but something can be assumed already now.

Analyzing the known data on the Chinese naval program, one can come to the conclusion that Chinese aircraft carriers are currently considered by the PLA Navy command as a means of ensuring the combat stability of the Navy formations. The strike power of the fleet is provided by cruise missiles of warships, including missile cruisers project 055. Considering that in the near future China sets the task of ensuring the operations of its fleet mainly in the coastal zone and adjacent seas, this system, which involves the interaction of carrier-based aircraft, surface ships, submarines and coastal aviation and missile systems, can be very resistant to external influence.

What is the potential of these forces in comparison, for example, with the US Navy, the main potential enemy of the Chinese fleet? Direct numerical comparison is not possible. For the United States, carrier-based aviation today is the basis of the strike power of the fleet, and for China, it will now and in the future be part of a distributed system that performs more of a supporting role. A direct comparison of the number of aircraft carriers and their carrier-based aircraft is unproductive, but it can be said that two or three aircraft carriers that China will be able to use by the mid-2020s, in the event of a conflict, will ensure the presence of 50-70 fighters in the air, operating in conjunction with coastal aviation. Beijing is actively working on the infrastructure for its own aviation on the disputed islands in the South China Sea, which means a significant increase in the combat potential of the fleet as a whole: previously, the Chinese fleet and long-range missile-carrying bombers, in principle, could not count on fighter cover at a distance of more than a few hundred kilometers from continental coast.

In part, this is reminiscent of the situation that developed in the USSR in the late 1980s, on the eve of the commissioning of the Kuznetsov and subsequent ships, which, unfortunately, were not included in the Soviet fleet. The difference in favor of China is that the USSR was forced to divide its naval potential in the ocean zone between two isolated theaters, in each of which the US and its allies had a significant superiority. China does not experience such problems with the isolation of its fleets from each other, and the distances over which the PLA Navy has to transfer forces are much less.

It is difficult to say how a potential conflict between the PRC and the US could end under these conditions. Probably, in the next 10-15 years we will witness a new naval race, reminiscent of the dreadnought race of the 1900s-1910s. Then this competition ended with the First World War.

MOSCOW, April 26 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. The second aircraft carrier of the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) was solemnly launched in the port of Dalian on the morning of April 26. It became the first ship of this class, built by Chinese specialists from scratch, on their own and in just four years. The aircraft carrier has yet to be completed afloat, sea trials and state acceptance. According to the Xinhua news agency, it will enter the combat strength of the fleet by 2020.

To date, the new ship has no official name, only the type 001A and the design name Shandong are known. Under the secret and many tactical and technical characteristics. However, military experts note that 001A will be the first truly combat aircraft-carrying ship of the Chinese Navy. Its predecessor "Liaoning" was used mainly for training carrier-based aviation pilots and for experiments on creating a full-fledged aircraft carrier strike group (AUG).

A more modern type - 001A - will take full advantage of these developments and strengthen China's position in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, this ship is only an intermediate one. The PRC plans to create a new type of aircraft carrier, which in terms of its capabilities will not yield to American classmates.

Brothers "Kuznetsova"

Both Chinese aircraft carriers are the closest relatives of the Russian heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser (TAKR) Admiral Kuznetsov. "Liaoning" is a modernized Soviet aircraft carrier "Varyag" of the same project, bought from Ukraine in April 1998. Initially, it was planned to be rebuilt as a huge floating casino, but in 2005 the command of the PLA Navy decided to give the warship a second life. The Liaoning fleet was officially accepted on September 25, 2011.

"In terms of its architecture, the type 001A aircraft carrier is almost identical to both the Liaoning and, accordingly, the Admiral Kuznetsov," a leading researcher at the Institute told RIA Novosti. Far East RAS Vasily Kashin. - The design of the superstructure and flight decks has changed somewhat, but this does not mean anything specific. But the new ship is significantly superior to the "Liaoning" in terms of its electronic equipment. A new radar station, communication and control systems have been installed on the Shandong. All the filling is made in China and is the most modern.

One of the main differences between the Chinese aircraft carriers and the Admiral Kuznetsov is the lack of anti-ship weapons - the Russian aircraft carrier has P-700 Granit cruise missile launchers in its bow. Compared to the original Soviet design, the ships of the PLA Navy have a weaker shipborne air defense system, which is essentially limited to short-range anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems. Experts, however, do not consider this a serious drawback. The rejection of bulky weapons systems made it possible to free up space for additional fuel and ammunition for carrier-based aircraft. Up to 36 heavy fighters J-15 - Chinese version of the Russian Su-33.

“Now another aircraft carrier of a similar project is being built, it will be launched by 2021,” said Vasily Kashin. “All three ships will be designed to operate inside the so-called first and second chains of islands, that is, in the waters of the seas adjacent to the territorial waters of China In essence, aircraft carriers will play a defensive role in close cooperation with coastal aviation, coastal defense forces, etc. In addition, these ships are quite capable of regularly displaying the flag in the Western Pacific Ocean. destroyers with cruise missiles of project 052D and frigates of type 054A with anti-submarine weapons. China has created quite serious AUGs built according to the American model."

steam catapult

The main difference between China's third aircraft carrier, which is currently being built at shipyards in Shanghai, will be the presence of a steam catapult. On the Kuznetsov, Liaoning and the first-born type 001A, a springboard is used to take off aircraft, which "throws up" the aircraft after a short acceleration. At the same time, the fighter, moving along the deck, picks up speed solely due to the thrust of its engines.

This method has a number of disadvantages. In particular, they try to make the plane as light as possible before takeoff so that it does not crash into the water. Therefore, fighters from "springboard" aircraft carriers often fly to combat missions under-refueled and with an incomplete combat load. The catapult gives aircraft additional acceleration. In addition, this device allows you to include in the ship's air wing more heavy aircraft. For example, the American carrier-based reconnaissance E-2C Hawkeye with turboprop engines without a steam "kick" would not physically be able to accelerate enough to take off from the ship.

"On the third aircraft carrier, the Chinese military will test catapults and a number of other promising technologies, after which they will start building a fundamentally new ship," Vasily Kashin explained. - Not much is known about this project, but it is already obvious that it will be nuclear and much larger than Liaoning and Shandong. He will be able to carry more fighters and support aircraft and stay at sea for much longer. It is these ships that will be used by the military and political leadership of the PRC to project force and combat use anywhere in the oceans. China has the technical capabilities to create surface ships of this level."

cover the coast

The PRC manages to maintain a high rate of military construction due to the constant increase in the defense budget - and so the second largest in the world. In early March, National People's Congress spokesperson Fu Ying announced that in 2017 the PLA's budget would increase by 7% compared to last year, to more than 1 trillion 78 billion yuan (about $156 billion). The lion's share of funds allocated for rearmament goes to the navy, while the ground forces have the least priority.

This approach suggests that China sees a threat to itself from the Pacific Ocean, where the US naval presence has been building up for several months. If China is more or less successful with the construction of a fleet capable of withstanding the American AUG, then with long-range air defense systems that will cover the coast in the event of a hypothetical conflict, the situation is still complicated.

China intends to solve this problem in the near future - at the expense of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems. Tuesday, April 26 federal Service for military-technical cooperation of Russia announced the start of deliveries to China of the S-400 air defense system. Recall that the contract for the purchase of two regimental sets was signed in April 2015, after several years of intense negotiations and approvals. Thus, China has become the first country, besides Russia, which is armed with anti-aircraft missile systems of this type.