China gets the Varyag for peanuts while the Gorshkov remains a money pit

VPK quotes a Chinese blog that the ex-Soviet almost carrier Varyag is going to be commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy as a training carrier, giving the People's Liberation Army a People's Liberation Army Naval Airforce with fixed wing capability: 

 VPK:

According to the Chinese source blog.sina.com, the leadership of the Chinese Navy confirmed press reports of accepting the Ukrainian aircraft carrier "Varyag" into the fleet as a training carrier.

The carrier is the ideal training platform for carrier pilots since it can go to sea and pitch and roll. Rolling can't be simulated on land training bases. The carrier will also be a test platform for self-defense systems. Besides that, the experience with the Varyag  will give the Chinese the opportunity to choose a power plant for an indigenously built carrier. According to unconfirmed sources, testing of a carrier based version of the J-10 has already begun. A series of escort ships like the "Chinese Aegis" Type 054 destroyers and other vessels are already building.

It's highly unlikely that the Varyag will be a fully capable combat aircraft carrier since the carrier was built in 1988 and has been in the water almost 20 years. Carriers in the US Navy have a 50 year service life, so the Varyag wont be in the Chinese order of battle for very long.

China originally bought the Varyag for $20 million without an engine or a rudder. A Chinese entrepeneuer wanted to turn it into a floating casino in the fascinating, but shady, enclave of Macau.

Perhaps the Indians should have waited a bit and bought the Gorshkov for scrap, instead of approving $2.35 Billion to renovate a 25 year old hull. I wonder how many dachas, Hummers and condos in Dubai were bought with the skim off all the money the Indians have poured into that pit?

Port Arthur Today

A Russian blogger goes to Port Arthur and comes back with some pictures of the historic battlefield:



From Perepelinna Heights: The view of Electric Bluff and the Western Basin behind it.



The Western Basin.



The Western Basin after the Seige of Port Arthur. (Photo: Wikipedia)



This is why foreigners aren't allowed on top of Perepelinna, although its clearly visible from space.

First Look - 04 June 2008

Russian Navy Ships Are Ready to Sail for Somalia, Where Pirates Have Captured a Russian Citizen.

Russian Navy ships are ready to set off for the shores of Somalia, where pirates have captured the crew of the Dutch ship Amiya Scan, among them a Russian, in the event a political decision is taken to do so, according to Kapitan First Rank Igor’ Dygalo.

“In the event higher leadership makes the political decision to send Russian Navy ships to the shores of Somalia, the fleet is unconditionally ready to carry out the decision”, noted the Navy representative.

Dygalo added that “use of force in any case is a measure of last resort”.

Pirates operating along the Somali coast have detained the 9 man crew of the Dutch ship Amiya Scan, among them the captain and three officers are from Russia and the rest are Filipino sailors.

China Tested the Newest Ballistic Missile “Tszyuylan-2”


The former Russian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Viktor Kravchenko considers the test of the newest submarine launched ballistic missile “Tszyuylan-2” to be a testament to the dynamic development of the naval component of the Chinese nuclear forces.

“In the last few years, China has added to the experience and has amassed enough economic potential to accelerate the development of the maritime component of its nuclear forces” noted the Admiral, commenting on the question posed by the ITAR-TASS correspondent on the test of the “Tszyuylan-2” ballistic missile for the newest project 094 nuclear submarine.

“After the new Chinese submarine is fully ready to enter service and is equipped with modern SLBMs, then it will be on of the most modern ships of its type, capable of threatening the security of all potential foes”, the Admiral says.

A Japanese newspaper with sources in the intelligence directorate in the Japanese Ministry of Defense, “Sankey” reported on the test launch of the “Tszyuylan-2” missile from the Yellow Sea
that took place on 29 May. The submerged launch took place from specially equipped Golf class submarine. The “Tszyuylan-2” (“Big Wave”) SLBM has an intercontinental range of flight. Project 094 submarines equipped with this missile will be able to hit targets in Europe and the US from its pier. The first boat of this type was launched in 2004 and is now undergoing sea trials before it is deployed to its base on the island of Hainan.

According to the press, a great base for 20 nuclear submarines, hidden from satellite view, is being built in the south of the island near the city of San’ya.



The above is a Russian TV Zvezda clip purporting to be the launch of the new missile. Despite the above Russian report noting that the launch took place from a submerged modified Golf SSB, the TV clip appears to depict a surface launch from a test barge.