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On May 8 this year (2024), the "Fujian" aircraft carrier conducted its first sea trials and successfully completed its mission.
The Western media immediately fryed.
Because they find themselves grossly underestimating the strength of the Chinese Navy.
China may not only have a Type 076 amphibious assault ship, but the Project 004 aircraft carrier is also likely to be coming soon!
The 003 aircraft carrier has just been tested, and the 076 has not yet been assembled, why would the West make such a judgment?
The West misjudged China's strength
The first sea trial of the Fujian aircraft carrier 003 was very successful, and all aspects of performance and status achieved the expected results.
Needless to say, the pride of the Chinese people is needless to say, and what is even more surprising is that in the picture of the Fujian ship's sea trial, the figure of the 076 amphibious assault ship also appeared.
076 The dock assembly began at the end of last year (2023), and the initial installation of the deck floating structure has been completed at this time.
That's an incredible speed.
Although a while ago, the West had already used commercial satellites to photograph the construction progress of 076, and probably had some psychological preparations.
But when they saw the more perfect 076 in the CCTV picture, they were still surprised.
At this rate, it is not hopeless that 076 will be launched before the end of this year, and it will be launched next year at the sleigh.
The implication is that China will be able to assemble a 076 in about a year.
If we combine it with another piece of news, then the West is even more panicked.
According to the open source information platform, Guangzhou Shipyard International launched a brand-new Type 901A comprehensive supply ship, which is the fourth supply ship of this class.
And there is also a sister ship that is being reassembled in the dockyard.
What does this mean?
In the general perception of the outside world, the Type 901A supply ship was specially developed for the aircraft carrier formation.
It is not a capital ship and does not have a strong sense of existence, but it is an indispensable "wet nurse" for the aircraft carrier battle group.
As everyone knows, the mainland does not have any overseas bases, and without the support of large supply ships, the aircraft carrier battle group is simply unable to carry out ocean-going missions for a long time.
901A is over 40,000 tons, leading the world in terms of technology, and has been the supply core of the continental fleet since its birth.
What is known is that the three Type 901A supply ships in service are exactly assigned to the aircraft carriers Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian.
So, the fourth and fifth 901A, which heavyweight "big ship" are matched?
Now there are two speculations, one is that this batch of 901A was prepared for Type 076 amphibious assault ships.
As a large tonnage of 076,5000, which is called a "medium-sized aircraft carrier" by foreign media, it is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and vertical take-off and landing fighters, etc., and the scope of attack has completely surpassed that of ordinary amphibious assault ships.
It is said that it may be a drone carrier, and it is very likely that the force will equip Strike Group 076 with a dedicated large supply ship.
In this case, it is likely that 076 is not the only one that is public.
In addition to aircraft carriers, it has the highest status, and such equipment will definitely have to be mass-produced when the technology is mature.
And another possibility is to serve the 004 aircraft carrier, and the 004 aircraft carrier is likely to be on the verge of coming out!
Whether it is the Type 004 aircraft carrier or the Type 076 amphibious assault ship, it is enough to show the crazy growth of the size and strength of the Chinese Navy.
This is the real reason for the Western fryer, they misjudged the strong strength and innovation ability of China's shipbuilding industry!
American shipbuilding is far behind
During the two sessions this year (2024), according to the political commissar of the mainland navy, the construction of the mainland's fourth aircraft carrier is likely to have begun.
Prior to this, there had been a debate about the legendary 004 aircraft carrier, and many people did not believe its existence, believing that it was a smoke bomb released by China.
What's more, the Fujian has not yet entered service, and the probability of China building a fourth aircraft carrier is very small.
It is precisely for this reason that the outside world speculates that by 2030, the PLA Navy may still be 3 aircraft carriers.
This is surprising because Western commercial satellites have not found any clues about 004.
What went wrong?
It is difficult to conceal a huge aircraft carrier in the shipyard, as long as it enters the dock for assembly, it goes without saying that it will definitely not be able to escape the eyes of the satellite.
Western commercial satellites cannot be found, there is only one possibility - the aircraft carrier has not yet begun dock assembly.
Because it adopts the "general section construction method".
The so-called "general section construction method", simply put, means that each prefabricated part of the ship structure is produced and assembled by the major supporting manufacturers, and finally enters the dock for unified assembly and assembly.
In fact, the mainland has adopted the "general section construction method" many years ago.
This construction mode is more flexible, allowing the mainland to build multiple "big ships" at the same time, significantly reducing time and improving efficiency.
According to some data, the average time taken to assemble the dockyard of the mainland's "big ship" used to be 4-5 years, and it was shortened to 2-3 years after the popularization of the "general section construction method".
In addition, the secrecy of the assembly process has also been greatly enhanced, and before the final assembly stage, all prefabricated parts of the ship are in the warehouses of various production plants, and Western satellites are of no help at all, and when they find out, the aircraft carrier has begun to assemble.
In stark contrast to the "general section construction method" is the "tower construction method".
That is, the keel is laid in the dock, and then the hull is built layer by layer like building blocks.
The United States is still using this outdated method, and the decline of its shipbuilding industry is obvious to all, with a large number of ships having difficulty repairing and new ships being delayed in delivery.
In order to get out of the predicament, the United States went to the doctor in a hurry and asked Japan and South Korea for help.
This may be expected, but it was a big surprise to find an Indian shipyard to help with repairs.
With the current shipbuilding capacity of the United States, can they imagine that China's construction speed is already terrifying?
Of course not.
Our batch of 091A supply ships and 076 amphibious assault ships have adopted the "general section construction method".
They came out of nowhere, as if out of nowhere, and the West was shaken by it.
So don't look at the fact that there is only one 076 on the mainland, in fact, there may be several ships under construction, but they have not yet been docked and assembled.
In this way, it is also reasonable for the West to speculate that the mainland's 004 aircraft carrier is about to come.
Previously, the US media estimated that we will have 4 conventional aircraft carriers and 2 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in 2035, which may have to be greatly advanced.
How long is the project 004 aircraft carrier
Since the United States openly defined the mainland as its biggest "strategic competitor," the US naval forces deployed around the western Pacific have been increasing day by day, and they have been making moves recently.
The passage of the aid bill to Ukraine, Israel's attack on Rafah, and tensions between China and the Philippines...... The undercurrents in the western Pacific are surging, and the smell of gunpowder is already faintly smelling.
At present, the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group is the main "stability-maintaining" force of the United States in the western Pacific.
And the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "George Washington" is also on its way to Japan.
At the same time, Japan also docked a "Reagan", although it is under repair, but there must be a special situation, it can also go to sea.
Also worth paying attention to is the amphibious assault ship USS America, which is parked in Japan.
In recent years, the US military has attached great importance to the role of amphibious assault ships, carrying F-35B fighters as a supplement to aircraft carriers.
In the face of this situation, the Chinese people are increasingly concerned about their own naval strength.
In particular, aircraft carriers, stepping up the construction of aircraft carriers are an important means for the Navy to counter the threat of the US military.
Although we already have three aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong ships are the products of the early level of technology and belong to the glide aircraft carriers.
In other words, it is a well-established fact that its combat effectiveness is inferior to that of catapult carriers.
They can only be regarded as "tuition" paid for accumulating experience, and the Fujian ship is the culmination.
But as the main strike group of the Navy in the future, only one catapult aircraft carrier may not be enough.
The sea trials of the Fujian have shown everyone that China has the mature technology to build conventionally powered aircraft carriers, and they are all looking forward to the mass production of aircraft carriers, or moving towards nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
This is also why everyone's expectations for the 004 aircraft carrier are full.
However, in reality, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have to lag behind.
Its nuclear power has unlimited endurance, which is very important for China, which has few overseas military bases.
And once the war is fought, the advantages of nuclear power will be more prominent, which can not only save fuel, but also reserve more war materials.
This is of course our ultimate goal, but its technical requirements, running-in cycle, etc., determine that the construction period is even longer, which does not meet the current strategic needs.
Before nuclear power, we may build a couple more conventionally powered aircraft carriers, after all, the technology is mature, and the efficiency is there.
However, judging from the 23-month docking period of the Fujian ship, no matter how fast the 004 aircraft carrier is, it will have to be assembled for 20 months, and when it is officially put into service, it will take about three years at the earliest.
So, how is China responding to the current maritime threat?
It is more effective to build a few more 076 amphibious assault ships in a short period of time, and this batch of 901A is most likely to be equipped with 076.
At that time, they will become another important surface force of the PLA, so that all those who infringe on the rights and interests of the mainland will not return.
Resources
China.com "076 real body picture exposed, 50,000-ton giant ship is tantamount to a medium-sized aircraft carrier, subverting the form of future warfare"