keeping my eyes on the actual carrier itsself, it appeard that the real carrier has just recieved what looks like a radar setup :confused:

source: http://china-pla.blogspot.com/

and i quote,

Finally, we also have a bunch of pictures showing the recent modification efforts of the island on the Varyag. Although the pictures are kind of murky, it appears that they have several faces ready to be installed something like the APAR radar from 052C (aka HLJG346)

Belgian A330-322 to be delivered 29th of october.

Belgian Defence minister, Pieter De Crem has announced that the Airbus A330-322 that is leased from the portugese airline HiFly via Avico will be delivered on october 29 at Melsbroek Air Base (military side of Brussels Airport).

there have also been news circulating that the current infrastructure at Melsbroek is unable to support the A330, as the aircraft is to big for the maintainance hangars, but De Crem said that this no problem as the Lease contract also includes spares, maintainance, training and support. how the aircraft will be maintained/repaired is unknown, but Personel at the 15th Wing is thinking that the nececary works will have to be carried out in the open air.

source: Gazet Van Antwerpen.

UPDATE:

the last pic was apparently indeed a photoshop, i dont know why they placed it there, anyway, new pictures have emerged, ind it appears rebuilding of the island has begun 😀
it clearly showes that they have put some new stuff in those compartiments, possibly the electronics for the control tower and the radar.

source: http://china-pla.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

im thinking that they are stripping the island to replace the most corroded part of it. or perhaps they are modifying it to implement new chinese systems to replace the old soviet ones that was already installed/foreseen.
they could replace the Phased Array with a chinese developed AESA system that is currently being installed in there current/future friges and AEGIS cruisers & destroyers.

according to what i read on another forum (i think sinodefence) the first naval pilots have apparently graduated on the K8 trainer, sh i guess they will be moving on to the SU-27UB/SU-30 now for the ski-jump training.

but i was thinking, if the work on the Varyag is completed and it enters PLAN service, wouldnt they concider buying a carrier based version of the new Hongdu L-15, i heared somewhere that they were concidering that option.
something is definitly happening on the ship, work has really geared up now compared to what we seen the last few years.

but as i was thinking about the airwing, i know they are concidering the SU-33 or an indigenously navalised J-11/J-11B and a Navalised J-10B. for helicopters im guessing that will be the Ka-32 AEW and the Z-9 ASW.
but with a huge country like chine, shouldnt they concider developing a fixed wing carrier planes, like a carrier capable Harbin Y-12 for COD missions or even buy off the Yak-44 design as an AEW platform (remembering the whole J-10/IAI Lavi incident).

anyways, any further updates recently :confused:

kinda reminds me, wasnt the E-2C hawkeye 2000 offered to India at the 2005 edition Aero India?

see model below.

over on Varyagworld, some new pictures have emerged,

more views of the Island being stripped 😎

apparently now this confirms that they are working arround the clock, day & night to get her into service 😎

maybe, but unfortunalty, there are no carrier-capable F-4’s left that fly, to navalise an F-4E the cost could be to high, and the phantom is already over 10 years outdated, no match for the likes of the SU-30MKV or Mig-29.

best way for Brasil to go is to buy secondhand F-18D. why not the Malaysian ones, they are looking to swap them for the F-model, they have low flight time, no stressed frames from carrier landing, just like the A-4’s.

other aircraft that could be an option are Ex-HAF A-7E/H, Ex-french Super Etendard or F1 Rafales, or new build T-45 Goshawks, based on the new Hawk 100 frame.

about AEW, the idea of an AEW version of the S-2 is not a bad idea, upgrade them into Turbo Trackers (or buy Ex-ROCAF S-2T’s) and equip them with an Erieye Radar.
its the return of the old “Stoof with a roof” 😀

to be honnest, i dont think the Brasilian navy has such a large piece of funding to buy the rafale, to me, the best choice would be to buy some secondhand F/A-18C/D’s, perhaps some ex-USN, EX-USMC or Ex-Canadian machines.

for other alternatives, they could look into some ex-USN S-3 Vikings, atleast to replace the S-2’s. another thing im wondering, and i dont know if they need it, is a carrier based AEW platform, like an ex-USN E-2C or a conversion of helicopter like the Seaking.

on the field of helicopter on the carrier, it seems adequate as it is 🙂