- An Aircraft carrier is not a joke. A single aircraft carrier fleet can destroy an entire navy of hostile country. In 1971, the Indian aircraft carrier ‘INS Vikrant’ single handedly destroyed the entire East Pakistani Navy which led to liberation of ‘ Bangladesh’. It takes years of design, research & development and huge amount of money to build an aircraft carrier. Also it is very costly and difficult to maintain an aircraft carrier. An Aircraft carrier never sails alone but is protected by submarines, cruiser, destroyers, escort ships, etc.
- This monster ship is USS Gerald R ford aircraft carrier. She is 25 storey high, 349 m long (just a bit smaller than the Empire State building). It took a decade to build USS Gerald R Ford. A whooping $18bn USD was used to construct this beast. Its weight is 1 Lakh tonnage. She can handle 80 aircrafts. She is nuclear powered aircraft carrier which means she can sail for 50 years without refuelling. US is planning to acquire 11 more such ships in the coming decades. USA today has 11 aircraft carriers, which all are nuclear powered, 1 lakh tonnage ship. USA has 9 other aircraft carriers which are bigger than any other country's aircraft carriers. This massive power truly displays USA as a global power.
- This is the HMS Queen Elizabeth. She is a conventionally powered aircraft carrier. She is a 65000 tonnage ship with the ability to carry 40 plus aircrafts. It took 10 years to build the HMS Queen Elizabeth. It costed a whooping $10 bn USD to build this aircraft carrier. UK is planning to acquire 2 more Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.
- This is INS Vikramaditya. She is a conventionally powered aircraft carrier. She is 45000 tonnage ship with the ability to carry 30 plus aircrafts. It costed 2.5 billion and 20 years of process of negotiation, refitting, etc. India is building 1 aircraft carrier of 60000 tonnage which it will acquire after 2022. India is also working on the design of a 3rd Indigenous aircraft carrier.
- Now you have understood how complex, expensive, time consuming, hard to maintain, aircraft carriers are. That’s why only a few elite countries like the UK, France, Spain, Italy, USA, India, China and a few more operate aircraft carriers. These countries have vast coastlines and global territories. They have big economies. Currently Italy and Spain operates 2 aircraft carriers, UK, France, India, China operate 1 each aircraft carrier and USA operates 19 aircraft carriers out of which 11 are supercarriers.
- Now coming to the topic. China's first ever homemade carriers ‘Lioning' is actually a refitted Soviet ship. It took 20 years and 2bn US dollers to refitt an old soviet ship. She is 55000 tonnage, conventional powered, able to carry 40 aircrafts aircraft carrier. Even then, it is not an operational aircraft carrier but used as training aircraft carrier. Unlike China, USA has 19 aircraft carriers which all are operational. Also China invested tonnes of money to copy Russian naval fighter plane used in Lioning aircraft carrier. China is building 3 aircraft carriers. These aircraft carriers are no match for Us aircraft carriers. One single US aircraft carrier is twice the size of the Chinese aircraft carrier and can carry 80 aircrafts. DO YOU THINK CHINA WILL SELL AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO PAKISTAN?
- Pakistan doesnt have capacity to build, operate or purchase an aircraft carrier. Pakistans military budget is 8bn out of which only 17% is allocated for navy (which is less than 2bn doller), out of which most is spent on salaries of naval officers. Also Pakistan doesn't have a single destroyer to form the carrier's battle fleet. In addition, you need to purchase naval versions of aircrafts for aircraft carriers. It is also very costly to maintain an aircraft carrier which Pakistan can not afford. Pakistan can’t even afford fuel of twin engine jet fight let alone aircraft carrier. Pakistan dont need an aircraft carrier as it has just 1096 km of coastline and no sealine islands to protect. India’s single state Gujrats coast is as big as whole Pakistan plus India has total 7000 km of coastline and islands to protect. India's one ship is costlier than Pakistan's entire navy and India's navy is bigger than Pakistan's entire military.
- That doesn't mean China can not gift Pakistan an aircraft carrier. Yes, China can. But India is prepared for this. India has made the western fleet to confront Pakistan, after 2022 India is able to form eastern fleet to counter China with 1 additional fleet under reserve. Even if Pakistan acquires an aircraft carrier, it can't defend the lone aircraft carrier. It will be easy prey for India's Scorpene submarines.
Pakistan shouldn't even dream of acquiring an aircraft carrier.
Also, China giving Pakistan an aircraft carrier is false news. Visit this link
http://www.globaltimes.cn/conten...
Pakistan aircraft carrier PNS Bin Laden.
