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China's first home-built carrier sets out for sea trials
China's first domestically developed aircraft carrier left its northeastern port to begin sea trials on Sunday, state media said, the latest milestone in the country's efforts to modernise its military.
The still-unnamed carrier was launched this time last year but since then has been undergoing fitting of weapons and other systems and has not yet entered service.
[...] "Our country's second aircraft carrier set sail from its dock in the Dalian shipyard for relevant waters to conduct a sea trial mission, mainly to inspect and verify the reliability and stability of mechanical systems and other equipment," Xinhua said.
"A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and it can last from a few hours to many days."
Also at CNN.
Previously: China Moving Full Speed Ahead in Construction of Aircraft Carriers
China Launches Aircraft Carrier
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 14 2018, @06:57AM (5 children)
It's not as easy as you make it sound. Aircraft *can* intercept missiles. Their chances may or may not be very high, depending on the aircraft, the pilot, and the missile - not to mention the loadout of the aircraft. There's your first line of defense, though. Next, the carrier GROUP consists of screening destroyers and cruisers. Their main guns, secondary guns, and point defense systems are pretty formidable - and we haven't mentioned their missiles. And, finally, the aircraft carrier will have it's own defenses - some guns, point defense, and probably some missiles. Carriers aren't designed to have a lot of guns, so maybe all they have are some 50, 30, or 20 mm cannon, but they have some. They probably have a nice anti-missile missile array.
Yes, of course a carrier group can be taken out. We saw it happen in World War Two. It is no easy task, and cruise missiles aren't exactly a magic wand. Missiles can be taken down.
I'll not even attempt to guess what the odds are, of course. We haven't seen such a battle, no one can make any more than wild guesses how it would go.
I will, however, point out that China is not a traditional sea power. They can have all the best hardware and armament in the world, and still lose a battle and a war. We've seen THAT happen, down through history. Ultimately, it always comes down to which side has the better seamen, as well as the better commanders.
And, I'll end this post with a salute to HMS Sheffield and her crew. A single Exocet missile ended her life.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @07:10AM (3 children)
See other comment. Some more:
That 30 mm autocannon, the Type 1130, shoots more than 166 shells per second. That would sound like the E below middle C, almost perfectly in tune.
I feel that flying straight into that would pose a problem.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 14 2018, @07:41AM (2 children)
In fairness, GP did mention a "volley" of cruise missiles. I suppose that if enough misiles were launched, the defenses could be overwhelmed. A better strategy might be going for kills in the screen, first, to minimize the defenses available. Ten missiles inbound, all targeting the closest ship, and each has a secondary target of the next closest ship. Ten minutes later, a similar volley of missiles. Just keep stepping in toward the carrier itself. It's going to take a lot of missiles, though. Few nations have the resources to even attempt such a thing.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by deimtee on Monday May 14 2018, @08:31AM (1 child)
If you are trying to overwhelm the defences though, those missiles can be cheap as shit. All they need is a rocket motor, enough dumb guidance to head towards the carrier group, and a radar profile the same as your real missiles.
Doesn't even matter if half of them fall out of the sky on their own, the carrier group still has to spend ammo and counter-missiles on the rest, and that dilutes their defences to the point real missiles start getting through.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 14 2018, @09:49AM
I think you've tipped the game in favor of the defenders with the cheap(er) rockets. Now, the aggressor is unable to launch from hundreds of miles, or thousands of miles away. He has to get a bit closer, and more personal. Meaning, the launch platform(s) are trying to hide just over the horizon. That doesn't work real well against aircraft. Or, if there is a submarine or two with the carrier group, they are going to negate that horizon anyway. The carrier need only launch a strike at the attacker now. When the platform(s) are gone, there are no more attacks.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday May 14 2018, @07:05PM
In my mind a kamikaze piloted aircraft IS a cruise missile. And they can be taken down. Even though kamikaze pilots have an AI-like level of intelligence at trying to evade incoming fire.
That might be one of the US failings. I don't know. Can't say. But a navy ship in a collision? Then reports of seamen not being proficient at the basics prior to modern technology. And as for commanders, just look to the president for inspiration.
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