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 VARYAG TRANSFORMATION INTO AN OPERATIONAL PLAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER |
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Varyag Island rebuilt to house Phased Array Radar. HISTORY-TRANSFORMATION In 1991, after the Soviet Union fell, the second full-size aircraft carrier for the Soviet Union, the Varyag-sister ship to the Kuznetsov, was under construction in the Ukraine. The Ukraine idid not have the financial resources to complete her. In 1992 a Chinese delegation visited the Ukraine in the hopes of coming to terms on a purchase price of the unfinished vessel. A suitable purchase price was not agreed upon. Later, in 1998, the Chong Lot Travel Agency, a supposed Macau firm, bought the Varyag from the Ukraine for $20 million dollars with the stated intention of making the Varyag a casino for commercial profit. As it turned out, Chong Lot had no offices in Macau and was simply a front company for a Hong Kong firm called Chinluck Holding Co. Ltd. As it also turned out, the managing directors of Chinluck had strong ties to the Chinese Navy, the PLAN. It took three years for the front firm, Chong Lot Travel, to get permission to tow the Varyag through the Istanbul Straits and on to China. That permission was finally granted in 2001 and the following pictures document what has occurred to the Varyag since. |
 The Ukrainian Carrier Varyag in Ukraine Naval Yards, approximately 70% complete, prior to being towed away by Chong Lot Travel Agency.
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In 2009, at the Wuhan Naval Research facilities, the PLAN embarked on building a full scale deck and island mockup of the Varyag. This included the ski-ramp and complete deck markings, the island superstructure and a complete array of sensors were added there. These fittings have been repeated in real-life on the Varyag itself as its island is rebuilt. Two full-size mockup aircraft were also placed on the mockup deck, one a Z8 helicopter, possible a model of the new AEW helo, and a strike fighter that resembles a SU-33, but appears to be a carrier variant of the Chinese built J11 aircraft outfitted for carrier duties, including strike at sea. |
  
A full-scale mockup of the Varyag deck and island being constructed at the Wuhan Naval Research Institute.   
Full scale Varyag island mockup under construction at the Wuhan Naval Research Institute. 
Full scale deck constructed at the Wuhan Naval Research Institute.     
Full scale helicopter (Z8) and strike fighter (J11 or J15) on the Varyag mockup deck at the Wuhan Naval Research Institute. |
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In October of 2006, the Kommersant online newspaper in Moscow announced a deal between Russia and China where the Russians would sell up to 50 Su-33 fighters to China for $2.5 billion. Details seemed to indicate that China will spend $100 million to buy two Su-33 fighters from Komsomolsk-on-Amur Production Association for evaluation, with delivery of those two in 2007. There appears to also be a fairly firm option for 12 more Su-33 fighters, with the potential for another 36 SU-33s. In that event, the deal would total the $2.5 billion. The SU-33 fighter is the navalized version of the SU-27 fighter that China has purchased in large numbers from the Russians and now license builds themselves. It is the same fighter that the Russians use on their carrier, the Kuznetsov, which is the older sister ship to the Varyag. In addition, over the last two years, the Chinese have been negotiating with the Russians regarding the KA-31 helicopter, which is the helicopter the Russians use on their carrier for AEW duties. The Chinese have also introduced designs for prop-driven AEW aircraft of their own similar to the United States E-2 Hawkeye aircraft. The continuing efforts by the PLAN to obtain navalized, carrier fighters and AEW aircraft from Russia (or design their own), coupled with the recent completion of a non-skid surface on the flight deck of the Varyag, and its painting in official PLAN colors, make it abudnantly clear that this vessel, at some future date, will be China's first aircraft carrier. Latest developments in China in 2009, as noted above, with the new Z8 AEW helo testing and the apparent J11 mockup derivitive may indicate a new indegenous direction for the PLAN. |
   In 2005 and 2006 the Chinese negotiated with the Russians to purchase SU-33 naval fighters for carrier operations, receiving special demonstations at Moscow and Chinese military airshows. But this deal has not been executed yet, other than the first 2 aircraft, and the new J11 derivitive mockup at Wuhan may indicate that the PLAN is taking a new direction of their own.
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While all of this has been occuring, the PLAN has embarked on a phenominal naval ship building and modernization program, simultaneously working on ten to twelve new classes of major combatants and building several of each at one time. This program has already developed and launched all of the necessary modern classes of guided missile destroyers, guided missile frigates, attack submarines, and supply ships to form the basis for a very powerful carrier strike group once a carrier is available...and to defend and supply it in the blue water, as the following pictures attest. |
 Two new modern, AEGIS-like area air defense destroyers for the PLAN, equiped with VLS and PAR. These ships would be very capable as escorts for a carrier.
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It is this author's and researcher's opinion that the Chinese Navy (PLAN) will launch the Varyag in the 2011-2012 time frame and begin trials and training for her use as an operational aircraft carrier with a wing of either SU-33 aircraft or perhaps a modernized J11 carrier-capable derivitive of their own manufacture, with vectored thrust and strike at sea and ground attack capabilities...in addition to its already significant air superiority capabilites. Furthermore, this air wing will be supported by either indegenous Z8 AEW hellicopters, or purchased or licend built KA-31 AEW helos operating off the carrier in conjunction with other ASW and SAR helicopters. Training will be ongoing for several years as the PLAN gains experience in carrier operations, and will prepare them for the introduction of one or more of their own indigenous carrier late in the 2010 decade, which will include Chinese indigenous navalized aircraft and their own, more capable AEW and EW aircraft. |
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