China's aircraft carrier development: a technological leap from catching up to running parallel
At the same time, discussions about China’s fourth aircraft carrier have revived.
It is generally speculated by the outside world that according to the previous development rhythm of "one ship in five years", 2027 may become the time window for the launch of the next domestically produced aircraft carrier.
The technical threshold of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and land-based model reactors
Concerning speculation about whether the new aircraft carrier is nuclear-powered, foreign media reports mostly focus on the evidence provided by so-called satellite images.
To look at this issue rationally, we need to first understand the extremely stringent construction process of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers .
The core situation is not to install the reactor directly in the dock, but to build it first, a specialized model reactor on land, and then carry out long-term, high-intensity tests on land.
Onshore model reactors that can simulate various extreme working conditions at sea can fully verify the reliability, safety and durability of nuclear reactors. Only when the technology is mature and solidified will the mass production and installation of naval nuclear reactors be started.
Therefore, if the outside world talks about observing those related facilities called primitive nuclear reactors, from a theoretical level, it points to the existence of this key test facility.
Looking at the technological maturity of China’s aircraft carriers from the Fujian Ship
Before discussing future aircraft carriers, the Fujian ship that is about to enter service is undoubtedly the most appropriate illustration of the strength of China's shipbuilding industry.
<strong>Fujian ship can move forward smoothly, which will pave the way for China to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a larger tonnage The road ahead has been paved, and in the process a team of large-scale aircraft carriers has been cultivated. A team of engineers who are proficient in design , and a large aircraft carrier in<strong> A team of<strong>skilled workers who are proficient in construction and integration .
The innovative significance of nuclear power platforms to the ocean combat system
If China really plans to build a 120,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the future, its strategic value will far exceed the increase in tonnage alone.
The "nearly unlimited" endurance capability brought by "nuclear power" and the potential energy of high-speed navigation will completely lead to subversive changes in the "logistics supply" model of the "aircraft carrier formation".
There is such a situation that the aircraft carrier itself does not need to consume ship fuel. In this way, the space and load freed up can carry more aviation fuel and ammunition. In addition, the supply ship only needs to be dedicated to supply the destroyer and frigate.
As a result, the combat radius of the aircraft carrier strike group has been expanded several times, and the maritime self-sustainability has also been extended several times. This will allow it to have the ability to deploy regularly in global waters and continue to perform high-intensity combat missions.
Systematic breakthrough in China's shipbuilding industry
In the final analysis, there are various speculations about China's next aircraft carrier. These speculations trace their origins to the understanding of the leap forward in the overall capabilities of China's shipbuilding industry.
From the transformation of the Liaoning ship aimed at learning, to the independent construction of the Shandong ship, to the leap-forward innovation of the Fujian ship, Chinese shipbuilders have completed a development process that took other countries decades to achieve in just more than ten years.
When China is building a ship, it is not just a single action in a simple scope like "making dumplings"; the construction of the ship is actually a large, complicated and highly complex systematic project; and this systematic project involves the power supply system; it also involves the ship's electronic function system; it also covers the weapon equipment system level; it even involves the carrier-based aircraft-related systems and other departments to achieve comprehensive coordination.
The systematic ability of technology research and development and the systematic ability of quality control are the fundamental reasons why China's aircraft carrier industry can continue to make breakthroughs, the fundamental reason why China's aircraft carrier industry has won market reputation, and the fundamental reason why China's aircraft carrier industry has gained international attention.
Along the path of increasingly profound technological accumulation, China's future aircraft carrier development will surely become more robust, thereby providing solid national defense support for maintaining regional peace and stability.
Comments NOTHING