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Satellite photos analyzed by IHS Janes show China has dramatically ramped up efforts to construct a second aircraft carrier—the first to be built indigenously there. While the new ship will likely not be a match for US aircraft carriers, it is important for a number of reasons, and representative of China's ambitions to be a naval superpower. The ship is in "advanced state of construction" in a Dailan shipyard, according to analysis of commercial satellite images by IHS Jane's. And China's goal is reportedly to launch the new carrier by this December (in time for Mao Zedong's 122nd birthday), and outfit it by the end of next year.
China's plans to build new carriers have not exactly been a secret. Construction of the ship started in March, and was confirmed to be a carrier by Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) officials speaking to Hong Kong Commercial Daily. The new carrier, called the Type 001A, will include technology currently only used aboard US carriers, according to PLA Navy senior officers: an electromagnetic catapult that will allow aircraft to be launched with greater fuel and weapons loads. That would put China into a very exclusive club.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 05 2015, @10:29PM
it will be as shitty as everything else made in China. If it kills anything it will be purely coincidental or an accident.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 05 2015, @11:36PM
Like iphones?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by zeigerpuppy on Monday October 05 2015, @11:42PM
There's been a long running myth proglumated by the US military establishment that US tech is superior to the rest of the world.
The facts, however, do not bear this out.
For instance, Russian fighter jets are superior in many aspects and about a tenth of the cost of their US equivalents. When it comes to ground based tanks and antitank tech, the US offering also are more expensive and with less range.
I mostly think the whole thing is a colossal waste of money but it's worth noting that China benefits heavily from its relationship with Russia and its home grown electronics industry. It would be a vast mistake to underestimate their ability to patrol and control their sphere of influence.
This is probably a positive thing in the longer term, military adventurism by the US has brought little benefit to its people.
The best thing would be to move warfare to a virtual platform.
Repurpose soldiers to fight in a virtual battlefield against their foes so we can get them all in a violent orgy pit and when everyone is covered in blood and cum maybe we can have a rational diplomatic discourse.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tibman on Tuesday October 06 2015, @02:56AM
"Virtual battlefield" is a fancy way to say training that costs a lot less. It isn't the tech that pushes the US to do well in combat. It's adapting equipment for a specific fight and then mass producing it to a high and exact quality. It seems like every fight the US gets into there are failures of some major platform. This causes a very fast research and deploy cycle that ends with a platform that excels in that particular environment. The people in those platforms typically worship the machine spirits and praise the new platform until the next conflict. Where the cycle begins again.
The ships, jets, trucks, and tanks that currently exist are plenty good enough. Platforms that are created to "replace aging equipment" almost always ends up as a failure. Platforms that are created to fulfill a specific combat need because US troops are dying are almost always excellent.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by zeigerpuppy on Tuesday October 06 2015, @09:44AM
By virtual battlefield, I mean literally war in a game.
None of that messy boots on ground stuff.
Of course this would require agreed rules
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Tuesday October 06 2015, @02:34AM
But they will be able to afford 100 of them.
(Score: 1) by darkengine on Tuesday October 06 2015, @04:03AM
China's manufacturing forces are not incapable of producing quality products. Pay the premium and you can get more precise tolerances, better materials, etc. They just have an uncontested supply of laborers and factories willing to churn out a massive volume of cheap stuff, more than any other nation.