The European governments, who armed and paid Gaddafi to hunt refugees and to get oil, should probably think carefully about their mistakes/crimes and afterwards should help to improve the situation of the victims of these dictators (Gadaffi, Mubarak etc. etc.).

Would you like to get more specific? I live in a European country, but I’m quite sure my government hasn’t payed Gadaffi a dime and we don’t get our oil from Libya. The vast majority (around 85 percent) of Libyan oil exports are sold to 4 European countries namely Italy, Germany, France, and Spain.

China’s share of Libyan oil is about the same as that of Germany, Spain.
China is a much bigger fish in some other African countries (where there are no dictators or crimes?)

And we all depend on Saudi Arabia (now there’s a democracy!)

Other info here:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=AG
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=LY
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=EG
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=SU
http://www.eia.doe.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=SA

How you would arm it would depend on what you would intend it to do.

IIRC it comes with 6x .50 cal HMGs. Personnally I wouldn’t add much more.
Perhaps add a remote controlled 25-30mm chaingun cannon next to the bridge structure. This mount could accommodate a pair of MANPADS and a pair of ATGW’s as well

For heavier stuff, I’m thinking along the lines of adding a spot in or on deck for a Stanflex module (which measures 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length, 3.5 metres (11 ft) in width, and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) in height). Depending on role, this could hold a VLS (Mk48/56 > 6 cells > 12 ESSM) or something like a 76mm Oto naval gun. Better still would be an arms container.

Let’s assume a GTu-based plant for a minute: it needs to provide some 200,000 shp on 4 shafts. What would such a plant entail and which turbines from what source would be likely candidates? You might eve nhave a combined GTu/Steam plant as onf some RUssian navy ships…

http://eng.zmturbines.com/files/marine_eng.pdf
http://eng.zmturbines.com/

UGT25000 (DA80/DN80)= 26700 kW = 35791 hp > you’ld need at least 4, each coupled to a Shaanxi diesel engines (Chinese licens production of the MTU 20V956TB92) rated at ~6,700 hp / 5 MW. Such a ‘twin Type 052B/C’ plant would give you about 170,000 hp.

See also: http://news.kievukraine.info/2009/04/ukraine-powers-chinese-carriers.html

Didn’t the Rafale have issues operating for the Foch? If, memory serves me seem like it was a weight issue and/or something to do with the catapults???

Rafale proto’s were tested from this class of ship.

Looks like heat efflux from the funnel group there. Interesting shot!.

It does. QUestion is, what exactly is generating it? Some have suggested this is indication of a new GTu-based main powerplant. However, IIRC, the Kuznetsov has a total of 15 diesel generator sets on board (in addition to her steam plant of 8 boilers and 2 turbines): where do these vent, and could a number of them combined produce this efflux (< love that word ;-)?

They’re building diesel subs under French guidance and looking to graduate to building nuclear subs by 2020. Building a carrier in 2030 with French assistance hardly seems impossible? :confused:

Hell, they could do both. Buy CVF in 2020 and operate as a two-carrier navy out till 2030 when Sao Paulo is replaced by an indigenous vessel. 😎

In 2008, DCNS also won a bid to supply four diesel-electric Scorpène-class boats to Brazil. [24] These four vessels will be constructed at Sepetiba Bay, close to Rio de Janeiro, and DCNS will provide the hull for a fifth vessel that Brazil intends to use as a basis for developing its first nuclear-powered submarine.

Some allege that the modular construction of the Scorpène would allow for the installation of a nuclear propulsion system.[21] It is unclear to what extent DCNS might be involved in such an adaptation as France has never exported nuclear propulsion systems. Even in the case of Brazil, where DCNS will provide the hull for a vessel that the Brazilians intend to develop into a nuclear-powered submarine, France is not transferring any of the components that can be used in the propulsion mechanism itself.[3] However, the French Navy does operate the world’s smallest nuclear submarine class, Le Rubis. With a submerged displacement of 2,680 tons, it is not significantly larger than a Scorpène-class boat of up to 2,000 tons.[22] The latter with its modular design could potentially incorporate a small reactor with a design similar to the one used in Le Rubis.

http://www.nti.org/db/submarines/france/export.html

In the near future, Brazil plans to begin constructing a new class of five diesel submarines.[1]— These submarines are to be a further step in the eventual creation of a fleet of nuclear-powered attack boats, which will use the same hull as the new diesel boats. According to Brazilian reports in late May 2004, a special budget of approximately $7.8 million was to be released immediately for the completion of the land-based nuclear reactor prototype RENAP-11 (Reator Naval de Potência de 11 Megawatts), which was expected to become operational in 2005.[2]— The RENAP-11 will then be modified for use in the SNAC-2 nuclear-powered submarine program (which will reportedly require a 48 megawatt PWR reactor).[2,3] As a follow-up to a 2008 defense cooperation agreement, the Brazilian Navy signed detailed contracts in late 2009 with the French naval manufacturer Directorate of Shipbuilding and Services (DCNS). These contracts included technology transfers and construction assistance for four Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarines, as well as one nuclear powered vessel. With the exception of the first boat, all submarines will be built entirely in Brazil. The first Scorpene-class vessel is expected to leave the drydock around 2015, while the nuclear submarine’s construction is planned to be finished by 2021 and will incorporate the RENAP 11

http://www.nti.org/db/submarines/brazil/index.html

Seems a little conflicted … but don’t rule out that thenuclear boat hull not be built in Brazil. Moreover, these are relatively small boats, which underscores my earlier points about corvettes and frigates: limited shipbuilding capability (is there even a dock big enough in Brazil to accommodate an assembling 60k ton carrier?)

Could Brazil be the perfect choice for the LCA or should I say the N-LCA??? As who else offers a Naval Fighter that could operate from the small decks of the Sao Paulo. (i.e. ex-Foch)

Uhm… France (Rafale)
Uhm .. BEA Systems (a cross between the T-45 Goshawk and the Hawk 100/200)
Uhm … Brazil (Aversion of their AMX-ATA)

But who says Brazil will stay with Sao Paolo / Foch? Should they buy a new, larger carrier, that can do so from France, but they could also do so from India or – considering PLAN maval personnel trains on board Sao Paolo – from China.

Brazil plans to select a new Navy fighter by 2013

Brazil defense Minister Nelson Jobim has confirmed that the winner of the FX-2 contest will also be selected for the Brazilian Navy which should order 24 new fighters in 2013.
This squadron will be the first step of the renewal of the Brazilian navy aviation and should be followes by the acquisition of a 60,000 t. aircraft carrier due to enter service between 2027 and 2031.

As explained in this article, the French ship builder DCSN is already promoting one of its PA2 designs for this project. The only serious contender to the French ship would be the British CVF whose second unit, the prince of Wales, could be sold by the MoD to Brazil

Anyway the fact that the 24 navy fighters will be of the same type as their Air Force counterparts, probably weaken the Saab offer due to the fact that the Gripen-N is still on the drawing board, leaving Dassault and Boeing alone for the final round of FX-2.

Meanwhile Luiz Marinho, the Mayor of San Bernado and a key personality for the Tranfer of technology part of the FX-2 project, is visiting the Dassault and Thales facilities in France (after a trip in Sweden last November).

Source : DefesaNet (Google translation)