India's Navy Carries Out Dual Aircraft Carrier Exercise Involving More Than 35 Aircraft In The Arabian Sea

 

CNN: India demonstrates naval strength with dual aircraft carrier exercise, a feat China has yet to accomplish 

India’s two aircraft carriers led their battle groups in a combined operation in the Arabian Sea earlier this week, showcasing what the service calls its “formidable maritime capabilities” and ability to project power around the Indian Ocean and beyond. 

Analysts say it’s a big accomplishment and one that only the United States Navy has pulled off in recent memory. 

“This is not a small achievement and underlines that the Indian Navy is one of very few in the world that operates more than one aircraft carrier,” said Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Here is a detailed analysis on India's aircraft carrier fleet .... Readiness and Future of India’s Aircraft Carriers (Naval News).

Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier, In Dry-dock For Years, Catches Fire Again

IvtI 09 / Wikipedia 

Newsweek: Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire 

A fire broke out on the flagship of the Russian Navy, according to local media reports. 

The blaze started on the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, while it was docked at the Zvyozdochka shipyard in the Barents Sea port city of Murmansk, located in the far north-west of Russia, news agency Tass said. 

An emergency services source told the agency on Thursday morning that 20 people had been evacuated, the fire was extinguished and that "there were no casualties." 

Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), which is overseeing renovation of the vessel, told RIA Novosti that the incident occurred during repair work. 

The Admiral Kuznetsov has been out of service and in dry dock for repairs since 2018. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The aircraft carrier has been in dry-dock for 5 years. The fire was put out quickly. 

Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier, In Dry-dock For Years, Catches Fire Again  

Russia’s only aircraft carrier catches fire -- RT  

Russia's only aircraft carrier, already sidelined for years, catches fire again -- AP 

Russia’s only aircraft carrier caught on fire — again -- Task & Purpose  

Russia’s Unfortunate Aircraft Carrier Has Caught Fire Again -- The Drive  

Flagship of Russian Navy catches fire -- Axios

The Design Of France’s Next Aircraft Carrier Takes Shape

French Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Pierre Vandier (L) points out design elements on a scale model of the service’s future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as military-procurement chief Emmanuel Chiva (second from left), French Minister of Defense Sebastien Lecornu (middle), and Naval Group President Pierre-Eric Pommelet (second from right) look on, at the Euronaval conference in Paris on Oct. 18, 2022. (French MOD photo) 

Defense News: Still tiny, the design of France’s next aircraft carrier takes shape 

PARIS — The French Ministry of Defense and industry leaders presented a first look, in model form, at the nation’s next-generation, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier this week during the biennial Euronaval trade conference here. 

The new carrier is expected to replace the French navy’s current aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, by 2038. Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique are building the ship together under the temporary joint venture MO Porte Avions, and Technic Atome will provide the two nuclear reactors to power the ship.  

Read more .... 

The Design Of France’s Next Aircraft Carrier Takes Shape  

France reveals first look at new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier -- Breaking Defense 

Euronaval 2022: Naval Group unveils French new generation aircraft carrier -- Navy Recognition  

Euronaval 2022: Latest PANG Aircraft Carrier Design Breaks Cover -- Naval News  

Loaded With Rafale-M & FCAS, France Unveils The Latest Model Of Next-Gen Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier -- EurAsian Times

France Wants The US Navy's New High-Tech Aircraft Launcher To Be Installed On Their Next Aircraft Carrier

French Armaments Procurement Agency members observe flight operations on USS Gerald R. Ford in April 2021. US Navy/MCS3 Dalton Lowing 

Business Insider: The US Navy's new high-tech aircraft launcher is being prepped for deployment on France's new nuclear-powered carrier 

* France is making plans to build a next-generation aircraft carrier to replace Charles de Gaulle. 

* The new carrier will have the same aircraft launch and recovery systems as the US's newest carriers. 

* The new French carrier is expected to enter service in 2038 and remain there until at least 2080. 

In September, US defense firm General Atomics announced that it had received a contract from the US Navy to continue its development and evaluation of its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear in preparation for their potential sale to France. 

It is the latest development in France's ambition to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a project known as the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération, sometimes called PANG, which translates to "New Generation Aircraft Carrier."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: France's new aircraft carrier is expected in 2038. A lot can happen between now and 2038.

South Korea Gives Up On Its Carrier Ambitions (For Now)

U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Chen/Released  

Warzone/The Drive: South Korea Drops Aircraft Carrier Ambitions, Doubles Down On Submarines 

Instead of a new aircraft carrier, Seoul is investing in advanced missile submarines that better suit a strategy aimed at confronting North Korea. 

South Korea’s ambitious plans to build its first aircraft carrier, known as CVX, appear to be under serious threat, with the news that the project has not been funded as part of the country’s proposed 2023 defense budget. That also raises questions about Seoul’s plans to operate F-35B stealth fighters but should be good news for its submarine fleet, which is earmarked to receive more funding, including for Dosan Ahn Changho class attack submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles. 

Confirmation that the CVX is not to be funded in 2023 came yesterday from Naval News, which had already predicted that South Korea’s carrier program could lose out in the next defense budget.  

Read more ....  

Update: CVX officially axed from South Korean defense budget in 2023 (Naval News)  

WNU Editor: My guess is that they made the decision was made that such a vessel would not last long in a shooting war.

India launches Its First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier As China Concerns Grow

India launched its first home-built aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, today - which is valued at $2.5billion  

Daily Mail: India launches its first home-built aircraft carrier as the nation looks to counter China's growing naval fleet 

* India launched the $2.5billion INS Vikrant today after an 18-year production 

* Prime Minister Modi said: 'It's a historic day and landmark achievement' 

* Ship weights 47,400 tons and can carry a crew of 1,600 and 30 aircraft 

* China launched its third aircraft carrier in June and is expanding its fleet India has launched its first home-built aircraft carrier as the nation looks to counter 

China's much larger growing naval fleet. The $2.5billion (£1.86billion) INS Vikrant is India's second operational aircraft carrier - joining the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya it purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. 

The new 262-metre (860 foot) carrier was designed by the Indian navy and built at the Cochin shipyard in southern India.  

Read more .... 

 India launches Its First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier As China Concerns Grow  

India launches new aircraft carrier as China concerns grow -- Defense News/AP 

India Launches First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier Amid China Concerns -- VOA  

India Inducts Second Aircraft Carrier as Seas Get Militarized -- Bloomberg 

India unveils first homemade aircraft carrier, with eye on China -- Gulf Times  

INS Vikrant: Inside India's newly-commissioned aircraft carrier -- BBC  

India's first homegrown aircraft carrier puts it among world's naval elites -- CNN

Comparing The US Navy's, China, And France's Future Aircraft Carriers

The latest French and Chinese aircraft carrier designs will rival the U.S. Navy's Ford Class super carriers. All of the designs feature electromagnetic aircraft launch systems.  

Naval News: U.S. Navy, China And France’s Future Aircraft Carriers Compared 

The future of aircraft carriers is assured. Tomorrow's oceans will be more complex and contested, with new threats emerging. Yet the carrier will continue to provide unrivaled conventional superiority to the few navies which can operate them. Only the United States, China and France are building the largest and most capable category of carriers, the Super Carrier. 

Warfare is constantly evolving. New technologies are reshaping the way wars are fought and opening up new opportunities for the future. At the same time, existing unit types are proving their worth. This is most visible because of the war in Ukraine. In the court of popular opinion, the effectiveness of anti-tank weapons has caused many to question the future of the tank. Yet on the ground, tanks are still desperately sought by both sides. Similar debates are happening in the naval world. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China's goal is to have 6 operational aircraft carriers within a decade. As for France's future PN-NG aircraft carrier, it is slated to be commissioned by 2038 (link here).

France's Only Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Is Impressive

French navy aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, right, and US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. US Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Doug Pearlman  

Christian Orr, 19FortyFive: Why France's only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is no joke 

* The only two countries that have nuclear-powers carriers are both Western powers and NATO members. 

* The US Navy has 11 such flattops while the French Navy has one, the Charles de Gaulle. 

* Here's a detailed look at Charles de Gaulle. 

 In recent weeks, we at 19FortyFive have published several articles on how Russia's repeated attempts to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier have ended in miserable and ignominious failure. It is no small source of embarrassment for Vladimir Putin and his Russian Navy admirals that the only two countries who have successfully launched and deployed nuke carriers are both Western powers and NATO members to boot: the United States and France. The US Navy has 11 such mighty warships while the French Navy (Marine Natiionale) has one, the Charles de Gaulle.

Let's take a more detailed look at France's supercarrier. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Charles de Gaulle will be making a deployment to the Pacific in 2025 .... French Navy Plans Aircraft Carrier Mission to the Pacific in 2025 (Naval News).

The Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk Is Now Headed For The Scrapyard

The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk one year before it was decommissioned.US Navy  

Insider: A last-of-its-kind US Navy aircraft carrier is headed to the scrapyard after being sold for a cent 

* The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk left Washington for a scrapyard in Texas on Saturday. 

* The US Navy previously sold the Kitty Hawk to a shipbreaking company for just one cent. 

* The ship participated in combat operations during the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. 

The US Navy warship USS Kitty Hawk, the last commissioned conventional-powered aircraft carrier, embarked on its final voyage on Saturday, leaving Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, to be turned into scrap metal by a shipbreaking company in Brownsville, Texas, the Navy said. 

The Navy decommissioned the first-in-class ship in 2009 after 48 years of service, putting the ship in mothballs for over a decade before selling the carrier and the USS John F. Kennedy to International Shipbreaking Limited for just one cent each in October, Insider previously reported.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This sucks .... Aircraft carrier sold for 1 cent for scrap headed to eBay after Navy rejects $5m museum bid (The Independent). 

The Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk Is Now Headed For The Scrapyard

USS Kitty Hawk headed for the scrapyard -- Navy Times  

Storied Carrier USS Kitty Hawk Towed Away for Scrapping -- Maritime Executive 

USS Kitty Hawk, one of the Navy's last fossil fuel-powered carriers, sails for the scrapyard -- Stars and Stripes

US Flag Gets Entangled With The USS Abraham Lincoln's (CVN 72) Radar While Leaving Port

A ship leaving and entering Harbour/Port is always a special spectacle.

But this is not something we see everyday- The US Flag entangled with the radar, while the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was deploying from San Diego Harbour on 03 January 2022
pic.twitter.com/gb5tEjeVUo

— 🇮🇳🇦🇫For Free Afghanistan افغانستان۔ 🇮🇳🇦🇫 (@Leopard212) January 9, 2022

WNU Editor: That is one massive flag!

How Big Of A Risk Are China's 'Carrier-Killer' Missiles?

USS George Washington. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Declan Barnes  

Business Insider/19FortyFive: The real risk posed by China's 'carrier-killer' missiles 

* China's anti-ship ballistic missiles have caused concern among US military officials. 

* Chinese anti-ship weapons are a threat to US warships, and their use would escalate any conflict. 

* Those weapons are an important part of China's arsenal, but their impact is more incremental than revolutionary. 

Could China's missiles really sink a US Navy aircraft carrier? 

The DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) has generated a tremendous amount of interest over the past several years. 

If it works, it poses a very serious threat to US Navy (USN) carriers, as well as to the other advanced warships of the USN, of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, and others. 

An anti-ship ballistic missile is more than just a missile; it requires a broad, sophisticated support system. Unlike a missile launched at static targets, a carrier-killing ASBM requires terminal guidance, as it must revise its flight path after reentering the atmosphere.

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A prediction. If hostilities should ever break out between the U.S. and China, America's aircraft carriers are going to keep their distance from eastern Asia.

For The First Time A US Navy Aircraft Carrier Deploys Under The Command Of A Female Captain

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt will be in command of one of the Navy's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers in 2022 

Business Insider: US Navy aircraft carrier deploys for the first time under the command of a female captain 

* A US Navy aircraft carrier deployed with a female skipper for the first time on Monday. 

* USS Abraham Lincoln set sail from San Diego under the command of Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt. 

* The carrier also set sail with the first Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter squadron. 

Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln made history Monday when it set sail from San Diego, becoming the first US Navy carrier to deploy under the leadership of a female commanding officer. 

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt assumed command of the carrier in August, becoming the first female carrier skipper. 

Prior to taking command of the Lincoln last year, Bauernschmidt served as the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego. She was previously the Lincoln's executive officer and the first woman to serve as the second-in-command on a carrier. 

 Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Its taken a long time to break this glass ceiling.

US, UK, And Japanese Aircraft Carriers Are Training Together In The Pacific

USS Carl Vinson, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and JS Kaga lead US, Australian, Japanese, and British ships and aircraft during an exercise in the Bay of Bengal on October 17. US Navy/MCS2 Haydn N. Smith  

Insider: US, UK, and Japanese aircraft carriers are training together in the Pacific. Here's how their 'big decks' stack up 

* In recent weeks, US Navy ships have worked with other navies during exercises in the Pacific. 

* The exercises have seen US aircraft carriers sail with their British and Japanese counterparts. 

* Their drills are part of an effort to develop interoperability — and a demonstration to China. 

It's been a busy two months for the American, British, and Japanese navies — especially their carriers. 

In early October, they were part of a massive exercise that saw the US Navy's USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson, the UK's HMS Queen Elizabeth, and Japan's JS Ise operating together in the Western Pacific. 

A few weeks later, USS Carl Vinson, HMS Queen Elizabeth, and one of Japan's Izumo-class helicopter carriers, JS Kaga, trained with Royal Australian Navy ships in the eastern Indian Ocean. 

In early November, JS Ise and USS America, an amphibious assault ship, trained off of southern Japan, while and USS Carl Vinson and JS Kaga conducted exercises in the South China Sea.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It looks like these exercises are becoming the new normal.

US Navy Is Stripping Parts Off A Carrier It Is Still Building To Get The USS Gerald R. Ford Ready To Deploy

Carriers USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) at Newport News Shipbuilding on Nov. 12, 2021. USNI News Photo  

Business Insider: US Navy pulls parts off an under-construction aircraft carrier to get USS Gerald R. Ford ready to deploy 

* The US Navy is pulling parts off a carrier it is still building to get another one ready to deploy. 

* The sea service is cannibalizing USS John F. Kennedy for parts to use on USS Gerald R. Ford, USNI News reports. 

* The Ford is expected to be ready for operational use sometime next year. 

The US Navy is pulling parts off a new aircraft carrier that is still under construction to get the first ship of the service's new class of carriers ready for deployment, USNI News reported Monday evening. 

Shipyard workers are stripping parts from USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford-class carrier being built at by Huntington Ingalls Industries at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, to use on USS Gerald R. Ford.  

Read more .... 

Update: USS Gerald R. Ford Needs Parts from Carrier Kennedy for Repairs; Navy Says ‘Cannibalization’ Won’t Delay JFK Schedule (USNI News) 

WNU Editor: You just cannot make this stuff up!

Can America's Aircraft Carriers Survive An All-Out Attack From China

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transits the Bay of Bengal as part of Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) 2021, Oct. 16, 2021. MPX 2021 is a multilateral maritime exercise between the Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Royal Navy, and U.S. maritime forces; focused on naval cooperation, interoperability, and regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas R. Carter).  

Asia Times: Can US carriers survive an all-out attack from China? 

The PLA can now use DF-21Ds to “attack ships, including aircraft carriers,” more than nine hundred miles away 

 It’s the $64 question military analysts are pondering. Can high-tech lasers, improved missiles, better radar and improved networking better protect US carrier battle groups against advanced Chinese weapons? 

We know that carriers will need to operate effectively in extremely high-risk combat environments. 

So what are they up against?  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Chinese are also developing other capabilities (besides their DF-21Ds) to target aircraft carriers .... The Unusual Carrier Killer Capability Of The Chinese Navy’s Strategic Bomber (Naval News).

Four Years Late And Billions Over Budget The Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford To Deploy Next Year

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) departed Naval Station Norfolk to transit to Newport News Shipbuilding in support of her Planned Incremental Availability (PIA), a six-month period of modernization, maintenance, and repairs, Aug. 20, 2021. US Navy Photo  

USNI News: Strike Group Commander: USS Gerald R. Ford Set For First Deployment in 2022 

The Navy is set to deploy USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) for the first time in 2022, four years later than the original maiden deployment date of 2018. 

After facing a series of delays and working out reliability problems with multiple new technologies, the $13 billion lead ship in the new Ford class of aircraft carriers is currently in the middle of the last maintenance phase ahead of its maiden deployment and will soon be available for Navy tasking.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Navy’s new aircraft carrier to deploy next year, four years later than expected (Washington Examiner)  

Update #2: USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier should finally deploy next year (Business Insider)  

WNU Editor: Finally!

US Navy Sells Aircraft Carriers USS Kitty Hawk And The USS John F. Kennedy To Shipbreaker For 1 Cent Each

Navy sells USS Kitty Hawk, USS John F. Kennedy to shipbreaker for 1 cent each

For $0.03...I could have owned 2 aircraft carriers! UGH!

I wonder how many containers I could put onboard?
https://t.co/2G0kFnfYud via @kitsapsun

— Sal Mercogliano 🚢⚓🧭🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ (@mercoglianos) October 2, 2021

WNU Editor: The above Kitsap story is behind a paywall. I have been trying to confirm from other sources if this is true. But no one else is carrying this story. 

On a side note. While searching for confirmation of the above story, I came across this old but still fascinating story .... This Is The Only Photo Of A U.S. Navy Supercarrier Being Sunk (Updated) (Warzone/The Drive).

What Is The True Cost Of The Aircraft Carrier USS Ford

 

WNU Editor: And no one is being held accountable for this money pit.

US Navy And Shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries Have Started Construction On The Newest Ford-Class Carrier

Members of Doris Miller's family at the ceremonial first cut of steel for the aircraft carrier Doris Miller, August 25, 2021. Huntington Ingalls Industries  

Business Insider/1945: The Navy has started building the next ship in its newest class of carriers 

* In late August, the US Navy and shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries held a ceremony for the start of construction on the newest Ford-class carrier. 

* The future USS Doris Miller will be the fourth Ford-class carrier and the second ship to honor Miller, who earned the Navy Cross for his actions at Pearl Harbor. 

It will likely be more than a decade until the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is commissioned into the US Navy, but recently the first significant milestone occurred when the First Cut of Steel ceremony was held in Newport News. 

The event signaled the formal start of construction for the new warship, with six members of Messman Second Class Doris Miller were in attendance. 

Miller, the ship's namesake, became the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross, which he earned for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: CVN-81 is the first aircraft carrier to be named for an African-American and the first named in honor of a sailor for actions while serving in the enlisted ranks.

US Navy Carrier Strike Group Deploying With F-35Cs For The First Time

 

Business Insider: A US Navy carrier strike group is deploying with advanced fifth-generation F-35C stealth fighter jets for the first time 

* A Navy carrier strike group is deploying with F-35Cs for the first time, the Navy said Monday 

* The Carl Vinson carrier strike group set sail "in support of global maritime security operations." 

* The carrier air wing consists of both fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft. 

A US Navy carrier strike group deployed Monday, the Navy said in a press release, revealing that the carrier is deploying with the service's most advanced fighter jets. 

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson departed San Diego carrying the Navy's first F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron, the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147. 

The deployment is a first for the carrier-based variant of the fifth-generation stealth fighter. 

The Carl Vinson carrier strike group's Carrier Air Wing 2 is the Navy's first integrated air wing including both the fourth-generation F/A-18 Super Hornets and the newer F-35Cs to deploy overseas.  

Read more .... 

More News On The US Navy Carrier Strike USS Carl Vinson Being Deployed "In Support Of Global Maritime Security Operations"  

First F-35C Fighters, CMV-22B Deploy with Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group -- USNI News 

USS Carl Vinson Deploys From SD With Most Advanced Jet Onboard -- NBC San Diego  

USS Carl Vinson and its strike group deploy -- Navy Times  

USS Carl Vinson, Following Upgrades, Hawaii Training, Set for Landmark Deployment -- Times of San Diego