Loading...
Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also can bring you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support!
In the fierce competition for global naval power, the United States firmly occupies a technological supremacy with its 11 powerful nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, while France, with only one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, proudly occupies the second place in the technological competition.
Britain, India and China, each holding two conventionally powered aircraft carriers, are unwilling to be left behind, and they are running the track of technology, constituting a third-echelon competitive situation.
Recently, China's Fujian warship has cast a heavy weight on the balance of global naval power, arousing the strong interest and ambition of many naval powers, including France, in cutting-edge aircraft carriers.
France is also gearing up, announcing ambitious plans to design and build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to further cement its leading position in the world's navies.
At present, France has the "Charles de Gaulle" aircraft carrier, which is not only equipped with its own research and development of the "Rafale-M" fighter, but also adopts the steam catapult technology and carrier-based early warning aircraft system from the United States.
Looking to the future, France has set a grand goal, planning to conquer key technologies such as a new generation of nuclear power systems, domestic fifth-generation fighters, electromagnetic catapult systems, and carrier-based early warning aircraft in the short term, in order to build an advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier comparable to the Ford-class aircraft carrier of the United States and the 100,000-ton CV-20 aircraft carrier that China will soon launch.
Although France maintains close ties with the United States in military and security cooperation, in order to achieve its strategic goals, France may choose to upgrade and expand the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and equip it with a more sophisticated nuclear power system.
In the face of the upcoming 10-year design and construction journey, France is more inclined to introduce new designs to reduce its dependence on U.S. aircraft carrier technology, so as to improve its independent innovation capabilities and achieve technological self-sufficiency.
This move is not only an all-round improvement of France's current military and technological strength, but also a thoughtful consideration of its future naval strategic layout.
In this global naval contest, China's Fujian ship went to sea like a giant dragon, which provoked a strong response from neighboring countries.
India, as a close neighbor of China, is naturally not to be outdone.
They quickly responded by announcing that they would immediately begin construction of the third, and at the same time the second domestic aircraft carrier, the "Vishal".
The aircraft carrier, which had high hopes, is expected to be built into a ship with a displacement of up to 6.
A 50,000-ton nuclear-powered giant ship.
However, despite India's incomparable determination and courage in naval construction, various technical and resource bottlenecks have been exposed in the process of building the "Vikrant" aircraft carrier.
India's attempts at nuclear power technology are currently limited to the application of small nuclear reactors, which have been initially practiced in its domestically produced "Enemy Destroyer" nuclear attack submarines, but the stability of its long-term operation is still full of unknowns.
Faced with such a technical dilemma, India seems to be considering learning from the successful experience of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and trying to transplant the small reactor technology of nuclear submarines into the construction of aircraft carriers.
This strategy may seem sound and effective, but it remains to be seen whether it will succeed.
As for other key technologies, such as electromagnetic catapult systems and carrier-based aircraft, India is likely to continue its usual "take-it-or-leave-it" strategy and pin its hopes on the export of technology from the United States.
The success of this process, however, will depend to a large extent on the willingness of the United States to sell these sophisticated equipment to India.
And if India is looking to import technology from France, it may need to be prepared for a long wait, given that France's next generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is still in the planning stage.
In this global race for naval power, countries are pulling out all the stops to grow their own capabilities.
While France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier program may seem promising, India's impatience and anxiety are also exposed.
Their attempt to rush into the construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers before the technology and resources are fully ready is undoubtedly fraught with risks and challenges.
In contrast, China's performance is particularly calm and calm, they know that naval construction is not a day's work and needs long-term planning and solid foundation as support, so they have always maintained a steady pace and careful planning on the road of naval construction, and this is one of the important reasons why China's navy can continue to grow and move towards the deep blue.
While India is eager to show the world the strength and determination of its naval strength, it invisibly sets off the steadiness and foresight of China's naval construction, and India's impatience and haste not only fail to demonstrate the strength and self-confidence of its naval power as expected, but also highlights the maturity and profundity that China has shown in the field of naval construction.