[Military & Weapon Section] Author: Golden Bomber
According to Xinhua News Agency reports, recently, the "Defense Journal" of the UK reported that the British Navy's flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, plans to set sail from Portsmouth Port on April 22nd, leading the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate, Astute-class nuclear submarine, and supply ships to the Asia-Pacific region for deployment missions.
▲HMS Prince of Wales, Image Source: Internet
UK Defense Secretary John Healey said that HMS Prince of Wales will carry 24 F-35B fighter jets, cross the Indian Ocean to reach Singapore and Malaysia, and conduct exercises near Australian waters in response to previous Chinese naval fleets' circumnavigation of Australia.
John Healey proudly stated that this voyage by the British aircraft carrier is a military deployment that only a few countries in the world can accomplish globally. Some radical British media even analyzed that the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers combined could not directly confront HMS Prince of Wales. Before setting sail, the HMS Prince of Wales task force will first gather off the coast of Cornwall. They will participate in NATO's "Neptune Strike" exercise in the Mediterranean before heading to the Asia-Pacific region. This aircraft carrier task force will lead a total of 4,000 troops, including 2,500 sailors, 900 soldiers, and nearly 600 airmen.
▲British aircraft carrier task force, Image Source: Internet
Britain is not alone on this journey. The Norwegian Roald Amundsen-class frigate, Maud-class supply ship, Canada’s Quebec-class frigate, and even Spain’s frigates are likely to join after completing exercises in the Mediterranean. It is well known that HMS Prince of Wales is the second ship of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and the sister ship of the lead vessel, forming the core of Britain's dual aircraft carrier strength. It began service at the end of 2019, costing £3.1 billion, approximately $4 billion today.
During World War II, Britain had a battleship named HMS Prince of Wales. Its name has now been replaced by the aircraft carrier. HMS Prince of Wales is based in Portsmouth and is always ready for action, with a full load displacement of about 65,000 tons, a length of 280 meters, a width of 73 meters, and a waterline of 39 meters.
▲HMS Prince of Wales, Image Source: Internet
Its power system is excellent, driven by two Rolls-Royce MT-30 gas turbines and four diesel generators, dual-shaft propulsion, with a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of 18,500 kilometers. The core crew consists of 679 people, which can increase to 1,600 when fully loaded. It is equipped with BAE Systems S1850M long-range search radar with a detection range of 400 kilometers and the Artisan three-dimensional radar for medium-range surveillance and target indication.
The weapon system includes three "Phalanx" close-in weapon systems and four 30mm cannons. The core combat capability of HMS Prince of Wales is 24 F-35B fighters from the RAF 617 Squadron and the Royal Naval Air Service 809 Squadron, which can be increased to 36 in extreme cases. Due to the poor range of the F-35B, it requires aerial refueling support for long-range missions. However, the F-35B has strong stealth capabilities. Outside of fighter jets, the aircraft carrier also carries "Wildcat" HMA.2 light multi-purpose helicopters for reconnaissance and transportation, capable of undertaking some attack tasks, as well as carrying "Merlin" anti-submarine early warning helicopters.
▲British F-35B, Image Source: Internet
The British are very proud of their Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, of course, this depends on what they compare them to. There are not many countries in the world equipped with aircraft carriers. Italy has one aircraft carrier, Cavour, with a displacement of only 30,000 tons, making it a light aircraft carrier suitable for Italy's national conditions and military needs. Russia has one aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, with a displacement of 55,000 tons, but it is in long-term maintenance and has virtually no combat capability. India also has a dual-carrier configuration, one Vikramaditya and one Vikrant, capable of carrying MiG-29K. Both have displacements exceeding 40,000 tons.
However, the performance of onboard aircraft is not ideal. Vikramaditya is a second-hand modified ship with aging hulls and cramped internal space, unable to support heavy onboard aircraft catapult launches. India's domestically produced Vikrant is relatively new overall, but its design is conservative, and even its deck area is smaller than that of the British aircraft carrier, limiting the number and efficiency of onboard aircraft. France's Charles de Gaulle is a 42,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier capable of carrying 30 Rafale M fighters. Although it is the only non-American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier globally, its displacement is nearly 20,000 tons smaller than that of British carriers, and it does not carry fifth-generation aircraft, so its strength is slightly inferior. The United States need not be compared; British aircraft carriers are both fewer in number and somewhat inferior in quality compared to American ones.
▲Shandong aircraft carrier, Image Source: Internet
Objectively speaking, China's Shandong and Liaoning aircraft carriers are indeed not as good as Britain's HMS Prince of Wales. These two Chinese aircraft carriers are 60,000-ton ski-jump carriers, one being a second-hand military ship purchased, while the other, although independently designed and produced by China, still follows a relatively conservative design concept, with limited overall capabilities. They can carry around 40 J-15 fighters. In terms of the efficiency of onboard aircraft operations and the quantity and quality of fighters themselves, they are indeed somewhat inferior. However, this should not be overly concerning for China: because China already has the most advanced 80,000-ton Fujian-class aircraft carrier, capable of carrying over 50 onboard aircraft. The carrier platform technology has already surpassed that of some American aircraft carriers, equipped with electromagnetic catapults. Although it still carries J-15 fighters for now, the J-35 has already been unveiled at last year's airshow. Official sources revealed that it will not only have an air force model but also a naval variant and export models. Once it is deployed on board, the overall combat capability of the Fujian-class aircraft carrier will rise to a higher level.
Regarding the British media's claim that Liaoning and Shandong combined cannot match the British aircraft carrier, it can be considered a "joke." As the old saying goes, "Two fists are hard to fight four hands," even if we consider the situation where a single carrier is outnumbered two-to-one, HMS Prince of Wales would not gain much advantage.
▲Fujian aircraft carrier, Image Source: Internet
China is not Argentina. After the British aircraft carrier arrives in China's near seas, the forces China can deploy are not limited to aircraft carriers — including the Rocket Force and Air Force will cooperate with the Navy in the entire operation process to counter the aircraft carrier. For example, the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile DF-21D, the DF-26B capable of both anti-ship and land strikes and capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the DF-17 capable of carrying hypersonic warheads with "meter-level" precision, and the H-6 with YJ-12, can all be coordinated. Therefore, the People's Liberation Army has multiple ways to counter aircraft carriers.
Britain's propaganda and its aircraft carrier journey are clearly intended as "intimidation" against China. As Major General Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, once said, the British aim is to show off their military might from afar, interfere, and intentionally provoke opposition and conflict. But times have changed. "Great Britain" is no longer the "Empire on which the sun never sets" of yesteryear, and China is not the same as it was back then. If Britain insists on seeking "presence" in the Asia-Pacific region under various pretexts, it may end up with a bloody nose.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493392898621456950/
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