"Satellite Images Show Construction On China's Third " Topic

…and Largest Aircraft Carrier.

"Construction of China's first full-sized aircraft carrier is well under way, according to satellite images obtained and analyzed by a U.S. think tank.

The images from April, provided to Reuters by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, reveal considerable recent activity during the last six months on a large vessel at the Jiangnan shipyard outside Shanghai.

China has not formally confirmed it is building a third carrier, despite recent hints in state media, and the timing and extent of its carrier program remain state secrets…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Perhaps they've decided they need a larger, sea-going, casino, since Macau isn't as profitable as they'd like……….

Old news. It's supposed to be their first non-ski jump carrier utilizing catapults.

Going to be quite the learning curve for them.

Hope they don't kill too many pilots!

I always shake my head at the sentiment that an upstart nation will have a hard time catching up to nations with more established histories in some area of warfare. History is filled with the rapid rise of upstarts threatening the established nations.

In just the area of naval warfare, we have many examples.

Japan went from feudal holdover from another age to victor over an established modern navy in 50 years. Germany went from an amalgamation of disparate smaller nations with no naval accomplishments to threaten British naval supremacy in less time than that. The US created and then abandoned minor naval accomplishments in cycles up until the Spanish American War and went on to become the preeminent global naval power in just under 50 years. Britain became a naval power themselves when they defied Spanish naval supremacy and went from non-naval focused nation to powerhouse in short order.

In each case their rivals thought, ‘good luck with that' and then found themselves really challenged.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

China has the will and economically has the way.

Agree!.

Amicalement
Armand

Carrier ops, especially modern ones, are very difficult and dangerous, even for well-trained personnel, in a navy with almost 100 years of experience.

No doubt, the Chinese will find the learning curve to be steep indeed, but they also benefit from the knowledge and observation of how other nations run their carriers, or have done so in the past.

That should aid them in getting up to speed more quickly than could otherwise be done without that information.

Funny how there were lots of people saying "carriers are obsolete". Some of these "experts" should tell that to the Chinese.

Some of these "experts" should tell that to the Chinese.

I'm pretty sure many of those 'experts' *are* Chinese!

The aircraft carrier's survivability, or rather lack thereof, in today's high-tech automated threat environment isn't so important as its critics would have us believe because its value is less military than as a political symbol of "don't mess with me" national might and prestige. By having carriers, China is serving notice to the rest of the world that her time has come. However, it appears China doesn't believe in cruisers as a surface combatant.

I'm pretty sure many of those 'experts' *are* Chinese!

Good point. Not that different from the Soviets backing anti-nuclear groups in the west while developing their own nuke up the wazoo.

The aircraft carrier's survivability, or rather lack thereof, in today's high-tech automated threat environment isn't so important as its critics would have us believe…

Also, nothing else can do what carriers can, and do it better, which is the ultimate measure of obsolescence.

However, it appears China doesn't believe in cruisers as a surface combatant.

Well, they believe in "large destroyers" that displace more than American cruisers.

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