CNS Shandong

China launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A. The carrier will be the second overall to join the People’s Liberation Army-Navy, following the Liaoning, a refurbished Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier that was commissioned into the PLAN in 2012. The Type 001A’s launch comes three days after the PLAN’s founding anniversary on April 23.

The experience of renovating and operating the Liaoning is evident in Shandong’s design. Displacing 65,000 tonnes, it features a ski-jump launch system similar to the Liaoning (as do the Vikramaditya and Vikrant). However, China’s defence ministry says it “will have more cargo room, more sophisticated radar, more advanced weapons systems and more reliable engines than the Liaoning.”

The basic structure of the second aircraft carrier, provisionally known as the Type 001A, is the same as the first carrier, which was originally a Soviet-designed Kuznetsov-class “heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser.” China in 1998 purchased the Soviet vessel Varyag, which was 70 percent complete, from Ukraine and later started refitting it in Dalian, Liaoning province. The refitting was completed in 2011 and it was renamed the Liaoning in 2012. The second carrier, built in Dalian with a displacement of 50,000 tons, is slightly smaller than the Liaoning, which has a displacement of 67,000 tons. According to a Chinese media report, however, the new vessel will be capable of carrying more aircraft than the Liaoning.

Citing Chinese media, Reuters reported that the ship will be based in the South China Sea, where for the next two years defense specialists will be able to perfect the ship, which will carry 36 Shenyang-15 (J-15) fighters.

China reportedly plans to commission the new carrier sometime around 2020 after test cruises and takeoff and landing training. Unlike U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, both the Liaoning and the new carrier are not equipped with aircraft catapults and instead rely on a ski jump-style deck to launch aircraft.

Shandong is conventionally powered. Means if you are leaving Chinese waters, you can’t go on with same supplies through IOR, and way back to home. To enter the Indian ocean, you better fuel her up upto neck before entering into Strait of Malacca, or directly at Gwadar. No other option left in IOR. And Gwadar needs to have that much capabilities to feed an entire Carrier Battle Group. And before straight of Malacca, the only nation which can possibly help them to have port call for CBG is Philippines.

INS VIKRANT

The Vikrant is a class of aircraft carrier being built for the Indian Navy. The class represents the largest warships and the first aircraft carriers to be designed and built in India. The lead ship of the class is also the first aircraft carrier designed and built in Asia featuring STOBAR and ski-jumps, and the first built to operate jet-powered aircraft.

The IAC program will eventually field two ships in the Vikrant-class – the INS Vikrant as the lead ship and her sister, the INS Vishal. However, while the Vikrant will be completed as a 40,000 ton design with ski-ramp flight deck, it was announced in August of 2012 that the Vishal will sport a more conventional “flat top” deck arrangement with catapult launching facilities (known as “CATOBAR” = “Catapult-Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery”). With this design initiative, the Indian Navy will be allowed to launch larger and heavier fixed-wing aircraft such as Airborne Early Warning (AEW) types which are not possible with the limited STOBAR configuration – drastically broadening the Indian Navy’s power in local waters (particularly in regards to neighboring Pakistan and Pacific-Asian powerhouse China). The changes to the Vishal will make it a 65,000-ton vessel with an all-new flight deck.

In all, it is expected that the Vikrant will be able to field up to 30 fixed-wing aircraft as well as a further 10 rotary-wing designs. The Mikoyan MiG-29K Fulcrum is expected to take the fixed-wing lead but these may be supplemented (or perhaps supplanted) by the indigenous HAL Tejas (a navalized version of the land-based model) in time. Helicopter types under consideration include the British Westland Sea King and the Russian Kamov Ka-31 series. Despite the procurement of 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia, the Indian Navy has entertained the idea of launching navalized French Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters due to their inherently greater capabilities (the Indian Air Force has already committed to the Rafale to replace its aged MiG-21 “Fishbed” fighter line). Conversely, the INS Vishal will field with dimensionally larger aircraft and quite possibly led by the Sukhoi Su-33 series – navalized forms of the excellent Sukhoi Su-27 “Flanker” family.

Vikrant will be capable of operating an aircraft mix of the Russian MiG-29K and LCA (Navy) fighters being developed indigenously by HAL. Its helicopter component will include the Kamov 31 and the indigenously developed ALH helicopters. The ship’s ability to sense and control a large air space around it will be enabled by modern C/D band Early Air Warning Radar, V/UHF Tactical Air Navigational and Direction Finding systems, jamming capabilities over the expected Electro Magnetic (EM) environment and Carrier Control Approach Radars to aid air operations. Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR SAM) systems with Multi-Function Radar (MFR) and Close- In Weapon System (CIWS) will form the protective suite of the ship. All weapon systems onboard the carrier will be integrated through an indigenous Combat Management System (CMS), being manufactured by Tata Power systems. The ship’s integration with Navy’s Network Centric Operations will provide force multiplication.

As of this writing (2012), the Vikrant will be defensed by 4 x 76mm Otobreda dual-purpose cannons and backed by several surface-to-air missile emplacements . For short-ranged work against incoming aircraft or missiles, a digitally-controlled Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) will be installed. A Selex RAN-40L L-band early warning radar system will be part of the defensive network of sensor and systems processing.

Dimensionally, the INS Vikrant will sport a running length of 860 feet with a beam of 200 feet and a draught of 28 feet. She will be conventionally-powered by 4 x General Electric LM2500+ series gas turbines developing power to two shafts. Maximum speed in ideal conditions is estimated at 28 knots with an operational range out to 7,500 miles. Her crew complement will consist of 1,400 officers, sailors, airmen and mechanics.

Make no mistake, the Vikrant endeavor is of great importance to the Navy of India. In terms of national pride, the initiative cannot be understated. However, this being its first “true” indigenous carrier-design-and-building attempt undertaken by the country, it has seen (and will continue to see) its fair share of challenges regarding available materials, experience, technological and engineering know-how to see the project to completion in a satisfactory way. To this end, the program has already surmounted several logistical obstacles presented though supply delays have been noted. Until the Vikrant gains further traction in its quest to become India’s first home-grown carrier, the Navy will make due with its aging INS Viraat and fleet of outgoing Sea Harrier aircraft. The rise of the Chinese aircraft carrier fleet and commitment of the US Navy in the Pacific should do well to push the Indian initiative along.

Indian Military Measures After Chinese New Aircraft Launch

Indian Military planners have already set the ball rolling and have initiated development of multiple anti-ship missile (AShM) projects and some with ‘Carrier-Killer’ capabilities to ensure that Chineses Aircraft carrier won’t be able to dominate over Indian Navy in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

BrahMos Block 3: When First Indo-Russian Joint venture PJ-10 was test fired in 2001 it was instantly was dubbed as ‘Carrier-Killer’ due to its ability to fly at supersonic regime which also had enough kinetic and firepower to take down ship as big as an aircraft carrier , but narration was quickly changed since at that time both Pakistan and China didn’t possess any aircraft carriers and the message could have been simply misinterpreted by Americans as a threat to their Super Carriers .Key improvements like S manoeuvre and Steep drive capabilities have only made it India’s potent ‘Carrier-Killer’ AShM system.

Brahmos- Extended range, Brahmos MK2, Pralay- Naval Variant of Shaurya, these are some potent Carrier killers which will born before Shandong sees a operational deployment. Brahmos is already operational. And all leading ships are either equipped or being equipped with this missile.

Shaurya is a hypersonic-cruise hybrid missile. It’s submarin launched land attack variant is already in service, K-15 Sagarika. Now it’s antiship ship and submarin launched variant is under development as carrier killer and expected to be test in late 2017 or early 2018. Unlike Shaurya, “Pralay” will have fix payload with range 2000km with slightly lesser speed than Shaurya (between Mach 5-7.5).

Naval Nirbhay: the Last block in India’s AShM family will be low-cost Cruise missile which can be launched from Surface and Sub-surface Naval platforms to target other warships. Delays in the development of Land-based Nirbhay has considerably delayed the program but the intention to develop a Naval variant of Sub-sonic Nirbhay cruise missile has been cleared by Indian Navy.

INS Aridhaman

As Soon as China launched first home-grown aircraft carrier, India is abuzz with a deliberate leak or just an Internet chatter on Possibility of second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine being built by India dubbed officially S-3 will break cover my end of this year.

The second Arihant-class submarine also known as ” INS Aridhaman ” has been under construction from 2010-12 in Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.

Indian media reports hints Aridhaman might already have seen its soft launch sometime back after reports of outfitting work completed emerged a few years back. INS Arihant which was launched in July 2009 already has been inducted into Indian Navy

INS Aridhaman is the second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine being built by India. She is being built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to build nuclear submarines at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. Even though the same class as INS Arihant, she will feature 8 launch tubes instead of the 4 giving her double the firepower of Arihant. Thus she could carry 24 K-15 Sagarika short range SLBMs or 8 K-4 long range SLBMs. She will also feature more powerful reactor than her predecessor.

The boat will have a seven-blade propeller powered by a pressurised water reactor. She can achieve a maximum speed of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) on water surface and 24 knots (44 km/h) underwater.

The submarine has eight launch tubes in its hump. She can carry up to 24 K-15 Sagarika missiles (each with a range of 750 km or 470 mi), or 8 of the under-development K-4 missiles (with a range of 3,500 km or 2,200 mi).

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