How will China-made aircraft carrier follow-up progress? Will not use nuclear power?

How will China-made aircraft carrier follow-up progress? Will not use nuclear power?

Abstract: With China's first aircraft carrier and the first domestic aircraft carrier has been built in service, the Chinese navy has completed the aircraft carrier from scratch, then the follow-up aircraft carrier will be how to evolve? How many aircraft carriers are needed These follow-up aircraft carrier will be in the power, take off and other key systems on what development and progress?
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 1: China's future aircraft carrier imagination
China also needs several aircraft carriers
Alone an aircraft carrier is unable to form a continuous uninterrupted combat effectiveness. According to the experience of the US Navy aircraft carrier, in order to ensure that an aircraft carrier formation is always in combat cruise, you must have at least three aircraft carriers, an aircraft carrier on duty at sea, an aircraft carrier in the port overhaul maintenance, there is a The aircraft carrier travels between the sea and the port. Since already have the aircraft carrier, in the case of conditions permit, of course, do not want the aircraft carrier formation on duty at sea, so in order to ensure the aircraft carrier formation uninterrupted combat effectiveness, at least to build three aircraft carriers. But the three aircraft carrier is only the theoretical minimum value, as a carrier has just started the country, but also a large number of aircraft carrier professional training and maintenance of the use of aircraft carriers, so a major used to test and training aircraft carrier Is indispensable, and now the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier is responsible for this mission. Therefore, the minimum number of aircraft carrier equipment at least four.
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 2: China will certainly need more aircraft carrier
With the development of China's economy and the need of peaceful revival of national rejuvenation in recent years, the core strategic interests of the country have gradually extended to the sea. From the international strategic situation facing China, there are two important strategic directions at sea, Is the east and northeast of the East China Sea, the Korean Sea, the direction of the Japanese sea, this direction both sovereignty island reef controversy, but also related to the national unity of the Taiwan issue, or the Chinese Navy break through the first island chain straight into the western Pacific Ocean strategic corridor. The other is the direction of the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, this direction is China's foreign trade and energy input of the most important sea routes where the sea, from the national economic point of view, to the sea lifeline to describe too much, while the South China Sea and Numerous sovereignty disputes on the island reef, but also China's strategic nuclear submarines into and out of the sea an important maritime corridor. Therefore, the two strategic directions of the sea, for China's national interests and national security is essential. If the two strategic directions in the allocation of an aircraft carrier formation, and to maintain uninterrupted maritime combat readiness, you must have six aircraft carriers. And in the case of having six aircraft carriers, you can swap out the test and training of the aircraft carrier, it is no longer need to equip another dedicated training aircraft carrier. In this case, with six aircraft carrier will be the ideal situation.
Will it be in one go?
The aircraft carrier's combat effectiveness is reflected by the carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based aircraft from the aircraft carrier is the premise of the combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier's take-off system in the entire aircraft carrier system engineering is undoubtedly a very important part.
At present, the "Liaoning" aircraft carrier and the first domestic aircraft carrier are used to take off the way, by contrast, the leaping off for the carrier-based aircraft is a lot of restrictions, especially for the carrier-based weight is very strict Restrictions, that is, relatively light fighters are difficult to full of fuel and ammunition full load take off, not to mention take off than the fighter weight heavier fixed wing early warning aircraft, the Chinese navy can only use the warning helicopter reluctantly replace the fixed wing early warning aircraft, so slide Leap can only be a transitional nature, sooner or later to use ejection take off mode.
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 3: "Liaoning" was used to take off
The more mature steam catapult on the aircraft carrier is now a unique US, but in the United States the latest aircraft carrier "Ford" has been used on the more advanced electromagnetic ejection. Electromagnetic ejection as the driving force of electromagnetic force, not only simple structure, small size, light weight, and without preheating, can cope with a variety of emergencies; do not need to consume fresh water; can be more than the carrier-based motor catapult 8- 15%, the required maintenance workload and the operator will be reduced by 30% than the steam catapult; more importantly, the ejection force is always the same, the thrust output can be precisely controlled, suitable for more types of carrier-based aircraft, in particular, to achieve UAV on the ship, than the steam ejection has a great advantage, there is no doubt that the electromagnetic burst is the future of aircraft carrier ejection took off the trend.
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 4: electromagnetic catapult is the future development trend
So as a late start of the Chinese aircraft carrier, whether it needs to take off from the slip to the steam ejection to the electromagnetic bursts of this step by step to develop? From the current technical conditions, it is possible to skip the steam ejection directly from the slip take off one step to the development of electromagnetic ejection, because since the final or to the development of electromagnetic catapult, has also seen the electromagnetic catapult than steam ejection more advantages, and Steam ejection is not the necessary process of electromagnetic ejection, then there is no need to take the steam ejection detours.
From the current situation, China has been in the carrier-based shore training base to install the electromagnetic catapult simulator, and a J-15 carrier-based fighter landing gear has also been installed on the ejection lever, which have confirmed that China The possibility of developing electromagnetic catapult on subsequent aircraft carrier.
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 5: China's carrier-based aircraft training base satellite map can already see the electromagnetic catapult simulator
Domestic aircraft carrier series of eight: domestic aircraft carrier follow-up how to evolve Figure 6: There is a J -15 has been installed on the catapult
Will it use nuclear power?
Subsequent aircraft carrier power is also the focus of attention of many people. At present, "Liaoning" and the first domestic aircraft carrier are only about 60,000 tons of displacement of medium-sized aircraft carrier, follow-up will certainly develop a larger displacement of large aircraft carriers, which is the inevitable development of the road. And 10 million tons of large aircraft carriers, but also to ensure that the maximum speed of 30 knots, the requirements for the power system is very high. At the same time, the carrier needs a long time cruising in the ocean above, large life is also very much needed technical indicators. In such circumstances, the use of nuclear power on the carrier is a very logical choice.
Figure 7: US Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, China's future will develop nuclear power aircraft carrier it?
Because, first of all nuclear power to ensure sustained high speed, carrier-based aircraft also require aircraft carriers to 30 knots against the wind sailing, so that the deck of the wind to provide some auxiliary lift. Second, the nuclear power to ensure a large endurance, as long as the crew's physical ability to bear, the main food and other consumables to ensure that the nuclear power in theory can provide endless endurance. The most important thing is that the use of nuclear power carrier can not need to carry the fuel required by conventional power systems, more out of the aircraft carrier volume can be loaded with aviation operations required fuel and ammunition, greatly enhance the carrier aircraft combat sustainability, which also Which is added to the aircraft carrier's long-term combat capability. In addition, the conventional power carrier because of limited power output, mainly to ensure that aircraft carrier sailing, fresh water production required power is limited, so the supply of fresh water supply is limited. The power of the nuclear power can drive the aircraft carrier at the same time, there are surplus power to produce large amounts of fresh water, so the nuclear power aircraft on the fresh water supply is open, which for improving the living standards of the crew to ensure high morale Is indispensable.
China has built nuclear power plants and nuclear submarines, nuclear power technology is no stranger, of course, the cost of nuclear power than conventional aircraft carrier, but the advantages of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is also obvious, the US Navy on the aircraft carrier compared the nuclear power and conventional power , But that the cost of construction alone, the nuclear power carrier is indeed high, but in actual use of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier efficiency is much higher than the conventional power carrier, that is, the cost of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is higher, the economy instead better. So in the future if the economy allows the case, the development of nuclear power aircraft carrier is also an inevitable choice.