Why would Australia be even modestly relevant in a hypotetical war between China and the US? The center of the action would most certainly be over nearby South Korean and Japanese territories, never in VERY peripheral Australia (which by the way is located between 4800 and 7400 Kilometers away from the Taiwan Strait!)…

Best Regards,

Hammer

Huh? (can’t follow: didn’t talk about Australia, neither did the article)

The latest reports on the current Iranian air-defence exercises are saying that Iran’s S-300-class missile is a locally upgraded version of the S-200.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151443.html

Right ….. :rolleyes:

S-200 missile (5V28V)
Weight 7 100 kg
Length 10.8 m

Lightest original S-300 missile (5V55K/KD)
Weight 1 450 kg
Length 7 m
Heaviest S-300 missile (48N6E2)
Weight 1 800 kg
Length 7.5 m

First Chinese aircraft carrier nears completion

CHINA’S first aircraft carrier, built on the hull of an abandoned Soviet warship, is nearing completion, according to Western analysts.
The arrival of China as a member of the carrier club would be the most potent symbol of the country’s burgeoning military power, even if its first model is based on a rehashed version of a warship that was never finished by its original owners. The Soviet Union collapsed before work could be completed.

The Varyag is expected to make its maiden voyage next year or 2012. “Photos regularly reveal an increasing tempo of work on the Varyag,” Richard Fisher, an authority on the Chinese military at the International Assessment and Strategy Centre in Alexandria, Virginia, said yesterday.
Full Story

“an increasing tempo of work” …???!?!??

At best, we’re able to observe more visible work but that doesn’t mean faster work. And of course, major surgery as on the island structure takes longer and proceeds slower than installation of more numerous smaller elements e.g. sensors, weapons etc. There is no way of telling how fast work was conducted internally.

:rolleyes:

The missile itself is an IR or Radar missile. The acquisition and launch of the missile is all radar based, no IRST IIRC.

SYSTEM OPERATION
1. Target is acquired and tracked by
3-D target acquisition radar
2. Missile is launched and flies to a
lock-on point, using an on-board
inertial navigation subsystem
3. IR seeker locks on and missile
intercepts target under seeker
control
4. Continuous updating of target
course from surface radar during
missile flight, via a telecommand
link, to enable engagement of
manoeuvring targets.

http://www.deneldynamics.co.za/brochures/Broc0266_Umkhonto-IR%20external.pdf

Of course, there’s no reason why you couldn’t use an IRST like Sirius instead of a 3D radar….

Like the british ADAD (Air Defence Alerting Device), which is an infra red thermal imaging surveillance system.

ADAD was developed by Thorn EMI Electronics, Electro-Optics Division, Pilkington Optronics, now Thales Optronics (part of Thales Land & Joint Systems), as a lightweight, compact, autonomous system which detects rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft through their infra-red emissions and then indicates their bearing and elevation to the operator. A version developed for use with the vehicle-borne Starstreak missile automatically slews the weapon sight onto the target’s bearing and elevation. The use of ADAD requires that the vehicle be, briefly, stationary. SP HVM Starstreak with ADAD entered service with the British Army in October 1995. ADAD has also been selected by the German Air Mobile Forces’ LeFlaSys (ASRAD) Light Mechanised Short-Range Air Defense System (Wiesel II derived ‘Ozelot’ vehicle). Pilkington Optronics has also developed the Protector system, which employs the Adad as a cueing device for a trailer-mounted electro-optical target acquisition and tracking unit, carrying an auto-track camera and a laser ranger. This provides precise target positions for up to six guns, which individually compute the required firing elevation and lead-angle.

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Electro-Optic-Systems/Thales-Air-Defence-Alerting-Device-ADAD-air-defence-sensor-United-Kingdom.html

http://www.armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/l0115.html
http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Electro-Optic-Systems/Thales-Air-Defence-Alerting-Device-ADAD-air-defence-sensor-United-Kingdom.html
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/starstreak/
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/leflasys/

A similar system is the German Rheinmetall/Diehl Fast InfraRed Search-and-Track (FIRST). This is a land-based IRST offering 360° passive surveillance imagery, claimed to be better than a SHORAD radar.FIRST is claimed to meet all the challenges of an air defence unit, from fighters through attack helicopters to cruise missiles, UAVs and other smart weapons. It can be deployed as either a stand-alone unit integrated with a static surveillance or air defence unit or on a vehicle-based air defence unit.A maritime version, known as FIRST Navy, has also been developed and trialled. Rheinmetall Aims among other things for Canadian Frigate Upgrade Business. It is likely to be part of future German groundbased air defences (SYsFla), including as ADAD replacement.

http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Electro-Optic-Systems/Rheinmetall-Diehl-Fast-InfraRed-Search-and-Track-FIRST-Germany.html
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3A5019df1f-aace-41f7-b77f-cef9674560e8
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/255/

There is also a russian wheeled AD system with 2×4 Igla with an 4-plane IRST system on top of the turret. However, I’m is from a good 10 years back and I am unable to locate pics and info about it at this time. Think I saw it in MilParade back in the day access online was free.

Traditionally, the use of irSt systems has been more common in naval than in land applications (due to lesser size/weight constraints, I suppose) e.g. Thales Artemis: http://defense-update.com/products/a/artemis.htm

Judge for yourself then.

The Gorshkov as it originally was before reconstruction work began.

Even the hull was rebuilt. My point here is that the Vikramaditya can comfortably be expected to last another 30 years because of the extent of reworking. If the Kirovs are expected to last a similar period then everything from the cabling to the steel in the hull and superstructure will have to be refurbished.

You’ve only illustrated how the skijump was ‘grafted’ onto the original bow and how a deck extension was installed on the port side, going around the island. There is no evidence in any of these pics that work on the lower portion of the outer hull involved systematic removal of all the original hull plates and installation of new hull plates in their place. Clearly, the entire lower outer hull was cleaned and made rustfree. I’m sure that in areas with really bad steel condition and corrision, some patchwork must have been doned. The entire lower outer hull was then primed and repainted. This would be normal and expected after such a long time of inactivity and neglect. However, it is nothing like a complete outer hull rebuilding because that hull was so bad. What took place IS part of refurbishing and, more importantly, modifying the ship and adapting it to its new intended role. Modifications (=alterations) are distinct from refurbishment (=maintenance)

The Vikramaditya project involves extensive modifications to the original ship. The cruiser-carrier’s guns, anti-shipping and anti-air missile launchers on the front deck are being removed and replaced with a full runway and ski jump, the deck must be widened in numerous places, its boilers are being changed out to run on diesel fuel, the rear aircraft elevator is being enlarged and strengthened, and other modifications like wiring replacement are necessary to make Gorshkov a fully modern ship.

Many of Gorshkov’s key modifications are aircraft-related, including the new arrester gear and ski jump. New boilers and wiring are the other major components.

The original carrier’s complement was 12 Yak-38 Forger V/STOL fighters, 12 Ka-28 helicopters, and 2 Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters. The removal of the Gorshkov’s forward missiles, addition of the ski ramp, and other modifications will improve the ship’s air complement somewhat.

Carriage ranges given for the refitted Vikramaditya seem to average 12-16 fighters and 4-16 of the compact Ka-28/31 helicopters; diagrams seem to suggest total stowage space for a “footprint” of no more than 15-16 MiG-29Ks, with each Kamov helicopter sporting a comparative footprint of about 0.4, and about 5-6 open footprint spots on deck.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ins-vikramaditya-may-hit-delay-cost-increases-03283/

I.e. the structural work on the deck and superstructure is all related to its intended use as a Mig-29 equipped carrier. A greater number of larger, heavier and non-STOVL fighter aircraft neccessitates many structural modifications (in addition to any refurbishments).

Mig-29K (percentage relative to Yak 38)
Length: 17.3 m (57.76 ft) = 106%
Wingspan: 11.99 m (39.34 ft) = 164%
Height: 4.40 m (14.44 ft) = 104%
Wing area: 43 m² (462 ft²) = 232%
Loaded weight: 18,550 kg (40,900 lb) = ?
Max takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (54,000 lb) = 217%
Powerplant: 2× Klimov RD-33MK afterburning turbofans, 9,000 kgf (88.3 kN, 19,800 lbf) each
Armament
1 x 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon with 100 rounds
9 hardpoints: 8 x under-wing, 1 x centerline for up to 5,500 kg (12,125 lb) of weapons and fuel tanks = 275%

Yak-38M
Crew: One
Length: 16.37 m (50 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 7.32 m (24 ft 0 in)
Height: 4.25 m (14 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 18.5 m² (199 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,385 kg (16,281 lb)
Loaded weight: kg (lb)
Max takeoff weight: 11,300 kg (28,700 lb)
Powerplant: 1 x Tumansky R-28 V-300 turbojet, 66.7 kN (15,000 lbf)
Powerplant: 2× Rybinsk RD-38 turbojets, 31.9 kN (7,870 lbf>) each
Armament
Guns: GSh-23L 23mm gun pod (GP-9). This gun could be carried in one or two PUK-23-250 pods fixed under the external pylons of wings.
Bombs: two FAB-500 or four FAB-250 under pylons, two incendiary ZB-500, or two nuclear tactical RN-28.
Max Payload 4,410 lb (2,000 kg)

Er, no. If you compare the pics from different stages of the refurbishment, or even from the beginning to present, the outer hull, at least, has been completely rebuilt and expanded. The deck and superstructure are also being rebuilt.

With Gorshkov – the carrier – let’s not confuse refurbishment with modification: in order to operate Mig29s (for which it was not designed) the deck needed to be strengthened, enlarged and a skijump added. That is not the same as refurbishing. The outer hull from the flight deck down was left untouched: no rebuild took place there at all.