Naval Pictures X: Underway on Nuclear Power

[Colt Ward]

Last week the Chinese's newest aircraft carrier, Fujian (CV-18) went on sea trial.

Now for everyone's favorite game . . . who can spot the Seawolf!

[mikecj]

Underneath getting the hull shots of course

[Cannonshop]

The problem I'm seeing in the Fujian images, is maybe not a problem...but I suspect it is, and I suspect it's not a good sign.

Where's the ready aircraft?  Those decks are too 'clean', she's not ready for action.

[chanman]

The problem I'm seeing in the Fujian images, is maybe not a problem...but I suspect it is, and I suspect it's not a good sign.

Where's the ready aircraft?  Those decks are too 'clean', she's not ready for action.

It's first sea trials. They haven't even installed the arrestor cables yet.

[Cannonshop]

It's first sea trials. They haven't even installed the arrestor cables yet.

so they're trialling a floating mockup?  Engine technology and how to seal a hull should be pretty much understood already, it's not like China doesn't build big ships, they're letting it out of the yard without its teeth.

seems...irresponsible to me, esp. isnce one of the FIRST things you're going to want to know about your new Aircraft Carrier, is whether or not it will actually function like an Aircraft Carrier-aka whether the arrestor gear works, deck can take the pounding, catapults function, and what flight ops are doing to the carrier's weight and balance for navigation and 'not tipping over' testing.

dunno, maybe I'm totally off-base here, but 'Sea Trials' to me reads as testing whether or not a given ship can perform the basic functions it was designed to perform, particularly outside of dock.

[Colt Ward]

so they're trialling a floating mockup?  Engine technology and how to seal a hull should be pretty much understood already, it's not like China doesn't build big ships, they're letting it out of the yard without its teeth.

seems...irresponsible to me, esp. isnce one of the FIRST things you're going to want to know about your new Aircraft Carrier, is whether or not it will actually function like an Aircraft Carrier-aka whether the arrestor gear works, deck can take the pounding, catapults function, and what flight ops are doing to the carrier's weight and balance for navigation and 'not tipping over' testing.

dunno, maybe I'm totally off-base here, but 'Sea Trials' to me reads as testing whether or not a given ship can perform the basic functions it was designed to perform, particularly outside of dock.

 . . . yeah, and you determine it's real vs projected stats.  It is a pretty basic part of the finishing of a ship.  After sea trials you go back and load the more complicated things to test out- in this case the ship is determined sound and now you mission test it.

[chanman]

so they're trialling a floating mockup?  Engine technology and how to seal a hull should be pretty much understood already, it's not like China doesn't build big ships, they're letting it out of the yard without its teeth.

seems...irresponsible to me, esp. isnce one of the FIRST things you're going to want to know about your new Aircraft Carrier, is whether or not it will actually function like an Aircraft Carrier-aka whether the arrestor gear works, deck can take the pounding, catapults function, and what flight ops are doing to the carrier's weight and balance for navigation and 'not tipping over' testing.

dunno, maybe I'm totally off-base here, but 'Sea Trials' to me reads as testing whether or not a given ship can perform the basic functions it was designed to perform, particularly outside of dock.

The first thing to test with a ship is if it does ship things. If anything isn't up to spec, easier to fix it at this point than after it's full of everything else. They've built plenty of big ships, but Fujian is the first of her design and first use of a bunch of systems. They've been spotted testing the electromagnetic cats in dock with dummy carts already.

USS America sea trials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_68OIZPxA
USS Harry S. Truman sea trials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6314ccjYrsQ
USS Gerald R. Ford doing some high speed turns during sea trials https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Aa9pQYrg0

[Daryk]

If you want really fun videos, search for "shock trials"... ;)