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Author Topic: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg4 second Chinese Carrier)  (Read 12449 times)

Offline Mako

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg2 Littoral Combat Ships)
« Reply #30 on: September 17, 2018, 12:23:52 AM »
Last I read, all the US ones were restricted to US bases, and waters near there, due to frequent equipment breakdowns and abysmal war-fighting capabilities.

My dad's home-built trimaran sailboat from the 1960s was almost as fast, and not much less well armed (yes, hyperbole, to get the point across).





Offline Arrigo

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg2 Littoral Combat Ships)
« Reply #31 on: September 17, 2018, 09:20:45 AM »
My USN sources told me they will be relegated to training duties very soon. There not that many to influence the target numbers, and the constant unreliability is making them too expensive to operate. As absurd it seems a Burke is not more expensive to operate, and production of these as restarted. considering that the USN is planning to face an Aegis shortage after 2025 (if they do not prolong the service of the Bunker Hills), it makes sense to cut them.

During Hagel tenure there was a strong push by the Navy (Greenert the dumb??*) to save them redesigning them... the Saudi debacle put a damper on it, as Greenert's departure.  It is entirely possible the program will be capped at 20 right now. It is worth to note that all the high tech surface ships program the USN had worked for years (DDX, CGX, and LCS) have utterly failed. The Ford (CVX) worked, but was not that 'revolutionary'.

I would say... get a couple of models of the Bazans and paint them in USN colours! (I favour the Bergamini, but I reckon it is the more expensive of the contenders, and also requires more work to be integrated).



*I have a low opinion of Greenert. Back in time I attended one of big RUSI naval conferences and he was one of the speakers. He was boring to death and every time someone had a question the stunning blonde aide he had with him as whispering the answer in his hear. He was also ripped apart by another speaker a retired USN captain who had spent his life in test and trials (I think his last command was the Spruance vessel they modified as a test bed, and was also involved with the Zummwalts).  It was a quite an embarrassing performance from the vice CNO, soon to become CNO. Other USN officers told me he always select stunning female aides (another bad sign..).
"Put Grant straight in"

for pretty tanks and troops: http://forwardhq.blogspot.com

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 US Carrier)
« Reply #32 on: September 21, 2018, 05:45:42 PM »
Some more additions:


USS San Antonio LPD (metal Argos model)



Expeditionary Strike Group



Forbin- a French Horizon-class AA Frigate (resin model from Mountford)



USS George H.W. Bush CVN 77 & Henry J. Kaiser class replenishment ship

The air group isn’t quite right, but it will do for now.


 :)
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 05:34:23 PM by AKULA »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 US Carrier)
« Reply #33 on: September 21, 2018, 10:53:10 PM »
Love the new stuff.
I have a friend that has a ton of modern ships,
I may ask him if he is interested in playing some games.
Semper Fi, Mac

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 start of an island)
« Reply #34 on: September 22, 2018, 05:02:02 PM »
Another day, more parcels, plus some progress on a few bits on my painting desk/workbench.

First up the parcels...


A pair of Chinese Type-51C Luzhou-class AA destroyers (Albatros metal models)



A bulk carrier  (Triang Minic diecast)


Some Type-022 Chinese Fast Attack Craft “Houbei” (had these printed via Shapeways)


Some 1/1250 aircraft

Mig-21, SU-33, Antonov Curl, Badger & Il-76


...and especially for Arrigo, the start of a much bigger island...(the ruler is 60cm long)....





...and managed to get a second carrier painted - pinched the decals from a commercial plastic kit.



USS Nimitz CVN 68 (Mountford resin kit)
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 05:33:36 PM by AKULA »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Start of an island)
« Reply #35 on: September 22, 2018, 05:15:39 PM »
So how do the Chinese destroyers compare to the US.

Also what are you looking at for the number of models


you are looking at to play the kind of game you want?


I like the new additions to your fleets.

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Start of an island)
« Reply #36 on: September 22, 2018, 07:03:15 PM »
So how do the Chinese destroyers compare to the US.

Sizewise? Length pretty similar, perhaps not as broad - will take some comparison photos.

The Chinese have built lots of sub-classes, as they’ve developed their navy - understandable given they are essentially still developing their strategic reach.


Also what are you looking at for the number of models you are looking at to play the kind of game you want?

 lol

Good question. Those who know me well would probably say “all of them”...as I have been known to get a bit carried away now and again.


For the campaign scenarios I have in mind I reckon I’ll need the following:

USN
3 Carrier Strike Groups
2 Expeditionary Strike Groups

UK/French
1 Carrier Strike Group

Chinese
1/2 Carrier Groups
Destroyer Squadron
FAC squadron
Amphibious Squadron
PLA naval Aviation

Russian
Surface action group - depends what I can hold of.

Vietnamese
Escort group
FAC squadron

JMSDF
Destroyer squadron plus maybe a helo Carrier

Australian/NZ
Small surface action group


For the US, I hope to recycle some of the escorts - otherwise I’m going to need a lot of Arleigh Burke’s

Clearly won’t get all of this list on table at the same time - as mentioned before, due to weapon ranges, and aircraft I expect to have two table, one for each protagonist.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 05:32:48 PM by AKULA »

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Island Airbase)
« Reply #37 on: September 23, 2018, 04:34:48 PM »
Managed to do some more work on the Island base -the four pieces together give an island that is 110 cm x 80cm.

The shape is intentionally unnatural, as the majority of these island bases in reality are artificial, with concrete poured on top of coral reefs, and the interior dredged out to provide a harbour for warships.



The Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS)are made from halves of 1/35 scale oil drums. Not glued down yet, just wanted to show what I had in mind.





Comparison photo of US and Chinese destroyers - the US is a smidge wider




Finally, a squadron of Chinese Houbei FAC


« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 05:32:21 PM by AKULA »

Offline Arrigo

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Island Airbase)
« Reply #38 on: September 24, 2018, 10:06:25 AM »
as for the islands.... remember the chickens!  lol

explanation: a couple of years ago I had the  Taiwanese defense attache (of course called deputy director of the representative mission...) lecturing my students on this same bit of real watery estate. Considering that Taiwan controls the largest piece there (and it was Jiang Jie Shi who claimed the nine dash line...) and that the UN had derated that piece of ground from island to rock (with a lot of law implications) he made the point that there were chicken, vegetable plots (food production), fresh water source, and a even energy production (simple enough, solar panels). Of course there is also a quite big airfield (rated for combat CTOL jets).

PLAN Destroyers:

a lot of the subclasses  differs mainly in propulsion. It is as the PLAN is trying to get hold of different engine combinations for testing purposes, to see how they push the envelope, and probably as a safety measures against engine issues (typical of new navies that switch from external to internal engine supply). I am sure we will see more standardization in the next years.

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Chinese Carrier))
« Reply #39 on: September 24, 2018, 05:31:06 PM »
as for the islands.... remember the chickens!

Ok...Chickens....check.

 :D

Was particularly excited with today’s delivery, although Mrs Akky is beginning to get suspicious (must remember to intercept the credit card bill when it arrives).

PLAN Type-001 Carrier “Liaoning” (ex-“Varyag” Kuznetsov-class Carrier) - a metal model from Albatros

This one came pre-painted, but I added some aircraft that I’d painted up ready for its arrival.
















 :)



« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 05:34:55 PM by AKULA »

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Chinese Aircraft Carrier)
« Reply #40 on: September 24, 2018, 06:25:27 PM »
Nice ships.

Offline voltan

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Chinese Carrier))
« Reply #41 on: September 24, 2018, 07:41:28 PM »


Was particularly excited with today’s delivery, although Mrs Akky is beginning to get suspicious (must remember to intercept the credit card bill when it arrives).


That probably won't save you, those Houbei FAC look like they've escaped from that crappy bond film. I'm sure someone high up in the party saw that movie and asked the navy how many they had in service, so the navy had to quickly make one.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 07:43:20 PM by voltan »
Yvan eht nioj!

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 Chinese Carrier))
« Reply #42 on: September 24, 2018, 07:54:46 PM »
those Houbei FAC look like they've escaped from that crappy bond film. I'm sure someone high up in the party saw that movie and asked the navy how many they had in service, so the navy had to quickly make one.

 lol

They are pretty cheap for the Chinese to build, equipped with a bunch of anti-ship missiles and they field them in numbers - a relatively low tech/low cost way to overwhelm an opponents defenses with a swarm of missiles, but I wouldn’t expect them to last long against an enemy with air superiority.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2018, 08:12:22 PM by AKULA »

Online AKULA

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 more escorts & container ship)
« Reply #43 on: September 29, 2018, 03:46:09 PM »
Bit more progress, usual combination of some I’ve painted up, and a few prepainted.


Some more (Mountford resin) Arleigh Burke Destroyers - still have some more of these to build/paint


Chinese Type 56 Frigates/corvettes (Albatros metal models)


Diecast Triang Minic buildings




Container ship (metal model, can’t recall the manufacturer)


« Last Edit: September 29, 2018, 03:47:59 PM by AKULA »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg3 more escorts & container ship)
« Reply #44 on: September 29, 2018, 03:51:39 PM »
Love the new stuff.
Great looking container ship.