Returned from AUVSI in Las Vegas today to discover the PLAN
has placed a few aircraft aboard the Varyag. Nothing as dramatic as India's
MiG-29KUB tests off the Vikramaditya in Russia's White Sea, but a definite step
in toward the first fixed wing flight to and from an aircraft carrier by a
Chinese pilot.
The fighter in the pictures is the Shenyang J-15. This
aircraft, the Chinese version of the Su-33,
has been seen before. The folding wings and tail are to be expected, but
I'm a bit surprised by the shortened canopy. The Su-27 family typically has a
bubble cockpit for a good all-round view, but with this aircraft the canopy is
cut off by the fuselage. Odd.
They probably have the aircraft aboard to work out handling
issues associated with fixed wing deck operations. It is preferable to figure out where to tie an aircraft down when the ship is parked by the pier, as opposed to waiting until it is underway in rolling seas. New Zealand conducted similar trials recently with an NH90 aboard the HMNZS Canterbury.
The helicopter appears to be a Z-8AEW, apparently with an
external radar array located to the rear of the fuselage. Presumably this can
be lowered when the helicopter is in flight. Images of this aircraft first came
to light last year. The helicopter has a folding tail for easier storage.
I'm reading a fascinating book called China
Aerospace Power: Emerging Maritime Roles. It is a compilation of essays about
the role of Chinese airpower in China's oceanic frontier. One of the writers (his name escapes me at
the moment) discusses China's carrier plans at length.
He does not see China producing carriers to challenge those
of the USA on the high seas. China will use carriers, rather, to menace unruly neighbours
(Vietnam, the Philippines) in South China Sea territorial disputes. Since helicopter AEW&C systems are inferior to fixed-wing types such as
the USA's E-2C Hawkeye, China's carriers will be more effective (not to mention less
vulnerable) if covered by fixed wing AEW&C assets operated from bases in
China.
During peacetime, the ship will be used for both flying the
flag and helping out with international humanitarian efforts. He writes that
China was embarrassed by its inability to lend a hand after the 2004
Tsunami that devastated Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
has placed a few aircraft aboard the Varyag. Nothing as dramatic as India's
MiG-29KUB tests off the Vikramaditya in Russia's White Sea, but a definite step
in toward the first fixed wing flight to and from an aircraft carrier by a
Chinese pilot.
The fighter in the pictures is the Shenyang J-15. This
aircraft, the Chinese version of the Su-33,
has been seen before. The folding wings and tail are to be expected, but
I'm a bit surprised by the shortened canopy. The Su-27 family typically has a
bubble cockpit for a good all-round view, but with this aircraft the canopy is
cut off by the fuselage. Odd.
They probably have the aircraft aboard to work out handling
issues associated with fixed wing deck operations. It is preferable to figure out where to tie an aircraft down when the ship is parked by the pier, as opposed to waiting until it is underway in rolling seas. New Zealand conducted similar trials recently with an NH90 aboard the HMNZS Canterbury.
The helicopter appears to be a Z-8AEW, apparently with an
external radar array located to the rear of the fuselage. Presumably this can
be lowered when the helicopter is in flight. Images of this aircraft first came
to light last year. The helicopter has a folding tail for easier storage.
I'm reading a fascinating book called China
Aerospace Power: Emerging Maritime Roles. It is a compilation of essays about
the role of Chinese airpower in China's oceanic frontier. One of the writers (his name escapes me at
the moment) discusses China's carrier plans at length.
He does not see China producing carriers to challenge those
of the USA on the high seas. China will use carriers, rather, to menace unruly neighbours
(Vietnam, the Philippines) in South China Sea territorial disputes. Since helicopter AEW&C systems are inferior to fixed-wing types such as
the USA's E-2C Hawkeye, China's carriers will be more effective (not to mention less
vulnerable) if covered by fixed wing AEW&C assets operated from bases in
China.
During peacetime, the ship will be used for both flying the
flag and helping out with international humanitarian efforts. He writes that
China was embarrassed by its inability to lend a hand after the 2004
Tsunami that devastated Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
No comments:
Post a Comment