T2k13, Another new carrier

[mikeo80]

There are now seven (7) countries that have built aircraft carriers in the post WWII era. The US, USSR, France, UK, China, Japan and now India. It looks like a cross between the UK carriers used in the Falklands and the angle decks of the US Nimitz carriers.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/...ier/index.html

I do not know the history of T2k13, but this addition to the world's navies should prove interesting at best.

My $0.02

Mike

[Targan]

The article mentioned that India has built its own nuclear powered submarine too.

[RN7]

They also just lost one of their submarines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23691561.

The Indian's have been spending a huge amount of money on expanding their navy. The Vikrant is the first of two new carriers they are building, the second one (the Vishal) may displace 65,000 tons which is about the same size as the two new British carriers under construction and far bigger than China's Liaoning. They have bought the former Russian Admiral Gorshkov (the Vikramaditya) and expect to commission it by the end of this year or next, with the Mig-29K on board all carriers.

Their also expanding their submarine fleet. They are leasing two Russian Akula II Class SSN and will probably buy them after the ten years lease is up, and are building their own nuclear ballistic missile submarines (Arihant Class). They also have 10 Russian Kilo Class and 4 German Type-1500 Class diesel electric submarines, and outfitted their submarines and escorts with advanced Russian missiles.

How India with a defence budget smaller than Saudi Arabia can afford all of this while maintaining a respectable nuclear weapons capability, an army of over 1 million regular troops and an air force of 1,400 aircraft is another question?

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by RN7

How India with a defence budget smaller than Saudi Arabia can afford all of this while maintaining a respectable nuclear weapons capability, an army of over 1 million regular troops and an air force of 1,400 aircraft is another question?

Economic growth from all our outsourcing?

- C.

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Economic growth from all our outsourcing?

- C.

LOLOL

And where do you think the other countries call when some important electronic piece breaks down.

[stormlion1]

I love history and its easy to see the parallels to the Naval Arms Race of the early 1900's in this as a mix of pride, desire for raw materials, and plain ambition begin to take hold. I notice that all these Navy's are adding ships to there fleets, the Japanese have added a Oversized Helicopter/Destroyer and is adding submarines to there fleet the Chinese have added a rebuilt Russian Carrier and I think is building one as well and is adding to its surface fleet as well, India has added a new Carrier and is build another and a Nuclear Submarine. And there all in the same area and compete for the resources under the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Philippines are even getting into the game by buying ships, mainly smaller ones from the US, Japan, and South Korea as well as getting more assistance on the cash front from the US. I even think the Vietnamese navy is adding Kilo Subs to its navy bought from Russia.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by stormlion1

I love history and its easy to see the parallels to the Naval Arms Race of the early 1900's in this as a mix of pride, desire for raw materials, and plain ambition begin to take hold.

Well the US has by far the most powerful navy in the world, possibly more powerful than all of the world's other navies combined. Aside from global force projection, how do you characterise the reasons for that? Just curious.

[Olefin]

For the US to have the biggest navy in the world? Well you could start with the fact that the US has two very large coastlines to defend on opposite sides of a continent, requiring a two ocean navy. Then you have Hawaii, Guam, the Marianas and Alaska, all of whom were attacked from the sea in the last war and requiring a navy to defend them.

Add in the necessity to defend oil shipments to and from the Persian Gulf from both rogue nations like Iran and pirates and you can see why the navy is still so big today.

Another reason can be seen in the pages of World War Z where one of the main characters goes over the list of items that the US imported before the war and that now they cant get because every available ship is loaded with refugees and how that worked against the US war effort. We are very dependent on imports and if we had a small navy it would definitely open us up to having them cut in time of war.

[Olefin]

Keep in mind too that Spain, Italy and Thailand have aircraft carriers as does Brazil. And the Japanese carrier is a pure helo carrier without a skyjump to operate aircraft whereas the Spanish, Italian and Thai carriers have those.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Keep in mind too that Spain, Italy and Thailand have aircraft carriers as does Brazil. And the Japanese carrier is a pure helo carrier without a skyjump to operate aircraft whereas the Spanish, Italian and Thai carriers have those.

True, but it wouldn't be too difficult to add a skyjump ramp in a pinch. Back in the early 1980s, the Brits added a skyjump to their old flat-topped HMS Hermes to improve the load-carrying capacity (at take off) of its new Sea Harriers.

[stormlion1]

Its pretty much a garuntee the japanese have a refit for a sky jump already worked out and possibly even half built and in storage. Plus I'm not looking at a global conflict with these navys but a regional one. Although if it involves Taiwan or Japan its pretty much a garuntee the US would get involved. But would the US get involved if India and the Phillipines got into a shooting match? I kind of doubt it.