By John Galt
November 29, 2011 – 23:15 ET
This time however, it is different as the schedule accelerates and includes flight deck testing and exercises which means the Chinese communists are getting serious about deploying this sucker soon enough.
From the People’s Daily Online November 30th edition:
Aircraft carrier sails from port for new test
By Li Xiaokun and Hu Yinan (China Daily)
BEIJING – China’s aircraft carrier left port on Tuesday for a second round of sea trials, which are likely to include test flights from the refitted vessel.
“Carrier-borne aircraft will possibly take off and land on the vessel for the first time, as these moves cannot be done in dockside tests,” said Yin Zhuo, a retired navy rear admiral and military expert.
He said an important component of the trial will be to test the steel cables used to catch the aircraft and decelerate them upon landing. The cables can bring an aircraft from going 300 km/h to a full stop in just a short distance.
Catapults may also be tested to see whether they can help propel various types of aircraft into the air.
“Of course, another task is to test communication between the carrier and aircraft, and whether the navigation system will lead the aircraft to their designated locations,” Yin added.
I find it quite interesting that the Russians revised the schedule for their only aircraft carrier task force to visit their base at Tartus in Syria (click here to read story) while the ChiComs advance the training schedule and sea trials for their only active duty fleet carrier. Does anyone else smell a whiff of late 1930′s era naval gunboat diplomacy in the air?
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