US media: The time it takes the US to repair an aircraft carrier is enough for China to build two new ones
October 10 news, US media reported that the mid-term major overhaul of the US Navy's John C. Stennis nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been officially delayed until October 2026, and the entire maintenance period will last more than five years.
This Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was originally scheduled to complete its complex overhaul in 2025, but it has been repeatedly postponed due to supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and unexpected structural damage.
The report pointed out that the current US aircraft carrier maintenance system has fallen into a vicious cycle, with the time required to maintain an aircraft carrier being almost the same as building a new one, or even longer.
At the same time, China's aircraft carriers have also started to be built in large numbers. Once entering the modular construction phase, the time it takes the US to repair one aircraft carrier would be enough for China to build two new ones.
Over the past few decades, the US has continuously deindustrialized in the shipbuilding industry, with many shipyards closing and skilled workers leaving, leading to the current situation where the construction and maintenance of nuclear aircraft carriers are highly dependent on a single Newport News Shipbuilding.
In contrast, China has rapidly formed a complete aircraft carrier industrial chain. From the modular construction of the Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier, to the mass launching of the Type 055 destroyers and Type 075 amphibious assault ships, and the mature self-researched development of various types of carrier-based aircraft, catapult systems, and power platforms, China not only can build them, but also builds them quickly.
More embarrassing is that the US now finds it difficult to maintain its presence by repairing aircraft carriers.
A delay in the overhaul of an aircraft carrier will force other aircraft carriers to work overtime, further accelerating their aging.
Meanwhile, the new Ford-class aircraft carriers have also fallen into a debugging quagmire, with frequent problems in electromagnetic catapults, elevators, and power systems, requiring ten years to build one, and even after delivery, they cannot fight effectively.
In this situation, the US military's so-called global deployment capability is nothing more than a high-cost stabilization effort, which becomes increasingly difficult to maintain and costly to repair.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1845670035199171/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.