...
Leaders in the Race
Alexander Yermakov:
The Army and Air Force of the Future
The guidelines for the development of national naval forces across the world, both today and in the foreseeable future, are governed by the rivalry between the United States and China.
The naval part of this confrontation is characterized by opposite trends in the development of their respective fleets, while the countries focus on similar approaches in exploring new types of weapons and military equipment.
Let us examine the main features that determine the similarities and differences in the American and Chinese approaches. In terms of similarities,...
... talk about what the new ship will be like, although it is mostly in the form of guesswork and speculation, as is usually the case with China’s military projects. It is highly likely that the second aircraft carrier wholly designed and made in China (and the third in the fleet), the hypothetical Type 002, will be equipped with aircraft catapults. China first experimented with catapults in the late 1980s, when it used technology from the
Melbourne
aircraft carrier it purchased
[6]
, supposedly for scrap metal, to build ...
... event the turning point in China's aircraft carrier program. Others believe the November test's importance has been exaggerated, since it cannot meaningfully affect regional stability. But in reality, the takeoff and landing mark another of many stages China has completed on the way to becoming a full-fledged naval power. The future of the aircraft carrier segment of the fleet will depend primarily on the niche it comes to occupy in Beijing's military and political strategy.
From the Melbourne to the Nimitz?
It was back in 1928 that Chen Shaokuan, the then Navy Minister, suggested allocating 20 million renminbi to build ...
... the only state to have the political will, resources and technology to build and maintain so powerful a navy. Other maritime powers have been deprived of these factors. Some countries, such as the UK, lack the political will to actively expand their fleet. Others, like Russia, lack the required resources. And others, such as China, India and Turkey, lack the requisite modern technology.
Photo: southcom.mil
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
Economic development, the spread of relatively cheap and simple naval technologies, as well as acute competition in the global shipbuilding market ...
