Aircraft Carrier - 2004 - 048 Project

The "048 Project" is currently the latest Chinese aircraft carrier development project. The reason it is called the 048 project is because in August 2004, the Central Committee approved the Navy, Shipbuilding Industry Group and other units jointly to the General Armament Department, the National Defense Science and Industry Commission to submit the development of China's aircraft carrier comprehensive demonstration report. August 13, 2004, the General Armament Department to the Navy, Shipbuilding Industry Group briefing, aircraft carrier project was officially launched.

The project clearly called for the development of the aircraft carrier in a three-step strategy: the first step in 10 years to build two medium-sized aircraft carriers; the second step over the following 10 years was to build two large aircraft carrier; the third step, was the case of the development of large nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. By 2017 the first step had been basically completed, but the Liaoning ship and follow-up of the 001A-type aircraft carrier had a take-off ramp. The "048 Project" from the outset considered the use of catapult take-off, so catepult take-off aircraft carrier was delayed to the second step, which gave China more than ample time to improve the catapult technology.

The second phase of the development of the first 002 aircraft carrier started construction in Shanghai. The existing data show that the aircraft carrier is a conventional [steam-powered?] aircraft carrier, which may be similar to the United States Kitty Hawk class. The 048 project will cover the construction of a similar aircraft carrier, possibly coupled with the electromagnetic launch technology, so there was speculation that the second step in the development of the second catapult aircraft carrier was likely to use electromagnetic catapult conventional power aircraft carrier, or 002A type. For the third step of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, there was work on pre-technical validation.

Therefore, with the completion of the "048 Project", China will have at least one 001, one 001A, one 002, one 002A and one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The next development path was according to the prevailing international situation and their own needs to decide.

Hong Kong's "Ming Pao" 1 Yue 14 Ri Chairman of Hong Kong published the article Strategic Studies Liang Guoliang, the disclosure of the decision-making process of the new century, China to build aircraft carriers. The article points out, China's development of aircraft carriers had a clear three-step strategy: first with 10 built years 2 Sou medium-sized aircraft carrier; the second step and then 10 years to build 2 large aircraft carriers; the third step, as appropriate the development of large nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

As can be seen from the program content, the two type 001 aircraft carriers are conventionally powered, then the construction of two type 002 large aircraft carrier, still conventionally powered, but with catapult takeoff, and the third step is the large-scale nuclear aircraft carrier.

"048 Project" from the outset considered catapult. It is said that Ma Weiming academician-based team had made good progressin terms of electromagnetic catapults, which makes it possible in China "048 Project" to achieve the second step of direct electromagnetic catapults, making China the world's second after the United States a country equipped with electromagnetic catapult take-off aircraft carrier.

1. The first step is to buy the aircraft carrier from Ukraine, after refitting, restoration of power system, with homemade weapons and aircraft equipment, aircraft equipped with self-developed, thorough thoroughly and mapping to the ship, through the original drawings, have built a 60,000 ton aircraft carrier technology. The ship model is 001, named Liaoning ship, beginning in 2005 until September 2012. Formal combat effectiveness is expected in 2017.
2. The second step is based on the work of Liaoning ship, designed and built the first domestic carrier, 001A type model, improved the ship is the USS Liaoning, drainage quantity, ship structure, weapons and equipment and facilities are more reasonable, the 453 type steam turbine power system is still using the 4 sets of domestic. The use of ski jump deck, the aircraft is still the f -15 fighter combat force, and Liaoning is. The ship started to build at the end of 2013, is expected in early 2017 launched, after three years of outfitting and trials in 2020, delivered to the Navy, the Navy delivered in 2020.
3. The third step is to develop the first conventional power take-off aircraft carrier, model 002, the number of construction for the ship of 2. The first ship construction started in the Jiangnan Shipyard in March 2015. 002 aircraft carrier is designed and built by the Chinese made second aircraft carrier. The conventional power, flat deck, equipped with catapults, the overall performance is comparable to a U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk class.
4. The fourth step is to build domestic aircraft carrier type 003, now just in the design and development stage. The ship will use the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as the standard, installing nuclear power and electric propulsion system, equipped with electromagnetic catapult and the fourth generation of advanced aircraft. The overall combat effectiveness would reach the world's most advanced level. In January 25, 2017, broadcast on CCTV CCTV10 channel "2016 annual science and Technology Festival" program, the naval power engineering expert Ma Weiming, said the latest research progress we are most concerned about the situation of the electromagnetic launch technology, said the electromagnetic launch technology, will replace the traditional chemical technology in ten years. The exciting news that is being developed in the design of 003 aircraft carrier type electromagnetic launch is a foregone conclusion.

Currently, Liaoning aircraft carrier battle groups have repeatedly cross-sea training area, 2016 end of the year for the first time through the first island chain, to the western Pacific for training. At the same time, 001A aircraft carrier entered the final stage of painting, launching soon, is expected to 2019 in service. If so, then the 048 the first step in the project "will advance 5 years to complete. This was mainly due to the introduction of the "Varyag" aircraft carrier, making the construction speed. According to Major-General Jin Yinan in a lecture on the report, China's 002 -type aircraft carrier in , 2015 Construction began in Jiangnan Shipyard, was expected that by 2024 the 002 -type two carriers will launch the service.

According to this schedule, China will advance 10 years to complete "048 second stage works". Then enter the third stage, the development of 2 two large nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Liang Guoliang also further revealed that China plans to have by 2049 - the Centenary of the founding of the PRC - completed construction of 10 aircraft carriers.

On the ship training, the most difficult is the landing. Finally, the carrier-based pilots have to go through land-based landing, touch ship go-around, blocking the ship, jump leaping takeoff and other dozens of flight subjects assessment, only through the assessment in order to obtain the aircraft carrier qualification certificate and badge, a qualified ship containing fighter pilots.

The Varyag aircraft carrier was in a sense China opening the door to the development of a key to the aircraft carrier, to start the development of China's aircraft carrier a long way from the beginning. Although the Varyag aircraft carrier had been converted into China's first fully operational capability of the aircraft carrier "Liaoning" ship, China's aircraft carrier road had just begun. The Chinese people's intelligence and China's comprehensive national strength, China's own development of medium-sized, heavy-duty aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered aircraft would eventually appear in the Chinese Navy's ship series.

China's aircraft carrier dream was soaked with too many people sweat and tears, the development of the road complex and twists and turns, from the last century began in 1970, "707" aircraft carrier project until the beginning of 2004 this year, China's aircraft carrier project extended more than 30 years. How many twists and turns and bitterness, there are more than twenty years was spent waiting. Many people in the waiting saw their black hair turned into white hair, because of old age - basically a generation of the most prosperous of the time.

The Varyag ship provided so many people the insight to realize and firmly grasp this fleeting strategic opportunities, and finally restart the development of the Chinese aircraft carrier. It can be said that if there was no return by the Varyag, China's aircraft carrier road would be longer, and the country's strategic opportunity to buy with money would not come.

After the launch of the Chinese aircraft carrier project, China's military science and technology personnel moved with unprecedented enthusiasm into this great project. As is well known, the Varyag aircraft carrier was designed by the former Soviet Union, its design ideas and the adoption of the design principles only met the needs of the Soviet Union, and the Chinese Navy's strategic tactics are not fully consistent.

Based on the inherent framework of the full integration to meet the needs of China, the design is required that is no less than the development of a new type of aircraft carrier. However, China's military science and technology personnel had only a short period of time to complete the overall program design, with three years to complete the aircraft carrier's overall deepening program design, with four years to complete the aircraft carrier's technical design, with five years time to complete all the design work, and these design work in the international usually takes 10 to 15 years.

Dalian Shipyard, which undertook the construction of the ship, took only three years after the signing of the total contract. The successful completion of the conversion task was delivered to the Chinese navy after the construction of the new "Liaoning" aircraft carrier. After the delivery of the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier, less than two years was needed to complete the national test acceptance, and complete the factory contract warranty.