PLAN will never get a operational carrier as long as PLAAF and PLA continue to view just a means to invade/blockade taiwan and not as way to project power, If RoC situation is solved both the forces will probably will cut PLAN spending and desolve it.

I think you’ve not quite had your eyes opend yet.

IMHO, in the eyes of the ChiComns, Taiwan is but a piece of cake.
Therefore, I suggest that you be just a wee more immaginative here — this
Chinese built up is not geared towards the Island. It clearly serves as an insurance policy
of sort (deterent if you will) against something much more gigantic.

:diablo:

You will have a hard time explaining those photos as Mings, given the cylindrical shape of the hulls.

I mean, why couldn’t these be “West German Mings” Crob??? I’m open to the possibility.

Well pictures of 6-8 newly built or building SSKs are taken in the past year, plus the 8 Kilos, that is already a lot of SSks purchased in the past few years. (8-10 Song/Song A/Song G, 1 Yuan and 8 Kilos)

Sources [B]”deemed reliable”[/B] suggested the target is
somewhere between six to eight 094 by end of decade. Given the resources
China have now days, this number is not impractical.

have a clearer picture as to how much China’s naval power and reach.

Naval Power Reach:

“China’s power reach should not be the object here.
Rather, her ability to prove outright that she has the means to
nutralize threats from afar and retaliate in kind, should.”

You must understand, with unstable characters such as Kim Jong Il at
the helm, and modern day VC’s to add to the picture :diablo: , a powerfull deterent against
nuclear blackmails posted by entities such as these becomes a must.

I believe China has cranked up her engines in this area and is
now full steams ahead towards achieving this very goal. In fact, by her revelations
of the last three years, it is unquestionable she is making good progress and
that she may even be years ahead of schedule in this endeavor.

Question of Carriers:

IMHO, Chinese carriers, when they will eventually make their debutes,
would serve more as a status symbol for the PLAN rather than as a stragetic tool
of naval warfare as most people may have been programmed to envision. Why do I see it that way?
Carriers make for a gigantic bragging rights, and — unquestionably — A LIABILITY!!!

I for one suspects that we will be seeing at least one indiginous
Chinese carrier launch by 2008 to coincide with the Summer Olympics. The Varyag may
also be operational by then but utilized more as a training vessel.

My 2 cents.

diablo:

– 093; lead boat launched Dec. 2002, second reportedly launched late 2003.

Apparently, you’ve forgotten to include in that roster
the two 094’s which was speculated to have also been launched. One was
said to have been launched in late ’99 the other in 2000.

Also, chatters of a wholely new class — the 095’s have surfaced…

I’m talking about your pic of the two subs that were being assembled in your August 29th post. I don’t think that place is Chinese.

Sorry for the confusion, Crob. I thought the link you’ve enclosed
was the one of a waterfront somewhere, hence the mix up. As for the
yard where the two subs are being put together, it is intriquing isn’t it?
Still no concrete answers however. Not even a smoking gun.

Probably taking a look at its construction (cutting, etc) its not like they can do anything else to it.

:diablo:

Wanna bet, Vympel?

Hypothesis: How’s about as a “real live sea-going experiemental speciment” for a first hand feel of flat deck landing and take off’s for their flat deck pilots to be and for studies for their naval engineering department while the wheels of their home-mades are humming and going strong???

Assumptions can and has been proven very very wrong sometimes…

:diablo: