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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 richtopia on Monday May 14 2018, @06:00AM
Some relevant wikipedia articles:
Overview of China's carrier program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_programme [wikipedia.org]
The existing Liaoning carrier (Type 001): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_Liaoning [wikipedia.org] This was originally laid down in 1985 for the Soviet navy but the dissolution of the USSR stopped construction, and the hulk was purchased by China. It became combat ready in 2016 with its primary role as a training ship to get the PLAN acquainted with carrier operations.
The carrier from the article (Type 001A or CV-17): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_001A_aircraft_carrier [wikipedia.org] Largely based on the Liaoning carrier with upgraded subsystems
Future designs (Type 002): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_002_aircraft_carrier [wikipedia.org] Little is known. Expected to launch in 2020 and be active around 2023 with a displacement of 85000 tons.
Quick comparison chart of active carriers around the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World_Navy_Aircraft_carries_chart.svg [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @06:01AM (10 children)
Isn't carrier group outdated battle tactic? A volley of cruise missiles can take out a carrier battle group.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Monday May 14 2018, @06:37AM
It lets you project power against weaker enemies, giving you the ability to launch airstrikes against countries you don't have bases near. Maybe China will gain an appetite for U.S.-style
world policingnational interest protection.Even if relatively small missiles, drones [nationalinterest.org], etc. can devastate these ships, they can prevent damage by keeping it well offshore from where they want to bomb. It's also said that China is more aggressively pursuing naval laser and railgun [popsci.com] technology than the U.S. is (the laser is applicable to protecting the ship against small threats).
China Sends Troops to Djibouti Ahead of Establishment of its First Overseas Military Base [soylentnews.org]
U.S. Complains That Chinese Military Personnel Are Injuring American Pilots With Lasers in Africa [soylentnews.org]
'China has conquered Kenya': Inside Beijing's new strategy to win African hearts and minds [latimes.com]
My family had never seen a Kenyan: The Chinese making a new life in Africa [bbc.com]
The new scramble for Africa: how China became the partner of choice [theguardian.com]
China-Africa Development Fund [wikipedia.org]
China is using soft power for now, but they may be going hard later.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @06:44AM (2 children)
This is generally how: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close-in_weapon_system [wikipedia.org]
The USA uses this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS [wikipedia.org]
It fires 4,500 20mm shells per minute and turns at 115 degrees per second. It tracks its own shells with radar, allowing dynamic adjustment for stuff like gusts of wind. It walks the stream of shells right onto the target.
China uses a newer version of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_730_CIWS [wikipedia.org]
For their aircraft carrier, they use a Type 1130. It fires 10,000 30mm shells per minute and turns at 100 degrees per second. Think of it like 3 to 5 of the A-10 Warthog's GAU-8 Avenger. Chinese TV has claimed that it is able to intercept incoming anti-ship missiles up to a speed of Mach 4 with a 96% success rate. (Mach 0.9 is normal for a cruise missile)
All of those specifications may be better than publicly admitted.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by corey on Monday May 14 2018, @07:10AM (1 child)
Yep. These work against missiles that use active radar to target. Missiles in dev these days aim to be silent all the way.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @08:01AM
The land-based version of the US system works on artillery shells and mortars.
The US system sends out its own radar. The incoming trouble can be radio-silent and it won't matter. China's system also does optical tracking.
(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.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(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.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(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.
200 million years is actually quite a long time.
(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.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(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.
Infinity is clearly an even number since the next higher number is odd.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Monday May 14 2018, @09:58AM (3 children)
Built locally... but made with technology stolen from every other major nation in the world.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Monday May 14 2018, @10:04AM (1 child)
Sour grapes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars [wikipedia.org]
As China develops its own technological advancements, those will get stolen too.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14 2018, @08:46PM
nanos gigantum humeris insidentes
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 15 2018, @01:29AM
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday May 14 2018, @03:56PM
To defeat a Chinese carrier battlegroup, one only need attack at 2pm local time when the crews are in the middle of their xiuxi (siesta).
Washington DC delenda est.