Aircraft carriers, the standard configuration of the naval power of a large country and a powerful country, are truly the "important weapon of the country". Our country has 1More than 80,000 kilometers of eastern and southern continental coastlines, as well as more than 4.7 million square kilometers of inland and coastal waters, plus more than 7,600 large and small islands.
However, due to historical reasons, China's maritime civilization once lagged behind the world, and there was a tendency to "focus on land over sea".
China once suffered greatly from foreign aggression at sea, and this is a historical pain that the Chinese nation cannot forget. However, our sea boats have gone through a development process from scratch and from small to large, and through continuous learning of the world's advanced technology, we finally have the economic and technical conditions for building aircraft carriers.
In this context, the country judged the situation and secretly launched the "048" project, planning to concentrate on building 10 aircraft carriers in the next 30 years, with the strategy of maritime power "Dinghai Shenpin".
In the face of the grim and harsh international environment of New China, when inspecting the navy, Chairman ** said thoughtfully: "In order to resist imperialist aggression, we must build a powerful navy. ”
On this basis, a series of specific development strategies were proposed, including the large-scale development of the shipbuilding industry and the establishment of a maritime communication network in order to build a strong maritime combat force in the coming years.
Under the strong impetus of the chairman and the state, we have formulated a plan for the construction of a large navy, and insisted on independent development, making full use of the assistance of socialist countries (such as the Soviet Union), starting with the manufacture of small ships, and gradually accumulating experience and capabilities.
Deep down, those Communist elites seem to have a lingering "aircraft carrier complex".
On October 25, 1973, I refused to accept my old age, and although I had been engaged in military and politics all my life, I was still full of expectations for China's aircraft carriers. ** At the age of 71, the general came to the residence of General Xiao Jinguang, and the two naval commanders of the new China were in the living room, talking passionately about our dream of building an aircraft carrier.
** The general said affectionately that as a maritime power with more than 3 million square kilometers of blue territory, we cannot be satisfied with only small and medium-sized ships and short-range shore-based aviation.
In the face of the threat of war at sea, we currently lack long-range combat capabilities and can only lament the inability to intervene. The key to solving this problem lies in the development of aircraft carriers.
However, the two veteran generals are well aware that in the current China, the time is not yet ripe for the development of aircraft carriers, and both capital and technology are facing challenges. But they advocate that we must prepare as early as possible, actively argue, and conduct in-depth research in order to gain the initiative.
Subsequently, General Xiao Jinguang published a signed article "Building a Modern and Strong Navy" in the "Navy Magazine" and the "People's Navy Daily", which aroused strong repercussions across the country.
Navy enthusiasts across the country have written to inquire about China's aircraft carrier construction plans.
In December 1988, the Science and Technology Committee of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense conducted a study called "At that time, Yang Shangkun, vice chairman of the ** Military Commission, once said......”
After years of exploration and accumulation, in August 2004, the top leaders of the Communist Party of China made a formal decision, and the research and development of aircraft carriers became a national strategy. This is also the naming of China's first aircraft carrier**, which was originally codenamed "048".
For this reason, China's aircraft carrier research program is called Project "048".
In order to achieve the long-term goal of the great "048" plan, China has formulated a three-step strategy for the "048" project according to its actual national conditions. Since we have no experience in aircraft carrier construction, and because a small number of countries in the world have technology and have strictly blocked technology, we have no choice but to start by acquiring the "Varyag" built by the former Soviet Union, gradually accumulate experience, and promote the development of the country's aircraft carrier construction.
By transforming the "Varyag" hull into a platform for scientific research and training, we have broken through the bottleneck of China's aircraft carrier "from scratch". On August 10, 2011, the port of Dalian, located in the northeast of the motherland, was crowded with people, and the eyes of the world were focused on Dalian, where China's first aircraft carrier sailed for the first time.
However, it is regrettable that a few months before the aircraft carrier went to sea for sea testing, Admiral ***, known as the "father of China's aircraft carrier" and "the father of China's modern navy", passed away at the age of 95.
Before his death, the old general once said: "If I don't build an aircraft carrier, I won't be blind to death." China's aircraft carrier is launched, the navy is strong, and the old general will definitely be able to smile under Jiuquan.
Over the course of the following year,"Varyag"The ship has undergone several sea tests, and the results have shown that all the equipment on board the ship is in excellent performance, has reached the expected goals, and is ready for service.
At that time, there were many proposals in China for the naming of China's first aircraft carrier. It has been proposed to name it after great historical figures, such as:"***"No. or"Sun Yat-sen"Number; It has been suggested that municipalities should be named, such as:"Beijing"Number; It has also been suggested that the sea area should be named, such as:"South China Sea"Number;
However, after comprehensive consideration, China believes that from a historical point of view, Liaoning is the birthplace of China's modern navy, and the Chinese navy's carrier-based aircraft pilot training base is also in Xingcheng, Liaoning.
Hence the decision to name it"Liaoning"Number;
Under the renovation work of a large number of shipyards in Liaoning, China has successfully built a second aircraft carrier"001a"aircraft carrier, and was launched on April 26, 2017.
After two years of rigorous trials to ensure that the quality was passed, the aircraft carrier was named"Shandong ship", officially delivered to the Navy on December 17, 2019.
Since then, the Chinese Navy has officially entered"The era of twin aircraft carriers"。"Liaoning ship"for"Shandong ship"It provides valuable experience, which is an important cornerstone of its success and an important driving force for the development of the Chinese Navy. "
In the process of renovating the "Liaoning Ship", we also built a number of main warships, including the "052C D" and "055" missile destroyers, the "071" integrated landing ship, etc., which have accumulated rich technology and experience for us and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent design and construction of the "Shandong Ship".
Shandong ship"The birth of the "048" project is the specific implementation of the "three-step" strategy, which is now further refined into "four-step". According to the plan, by 2049, China will have 10 aircraft carriers, including 5 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, we will achieve the goal of building 10 aircraft carriers and demonstrate China's naval strength to the world.
China's People's Navy, although it has two aircraft carriers, still lags behind the US Navy in numbers. Although two"Elizabeth"class aircraft carriers"f-35b"The fighters are superior to the Chinese aircraft carriers in terms of performance and numbers, but with the US Navy"Nimitz"Compared with the class of aircraft carriers, the gap between China is even more significant.
The biggest shortcoming of China's two aircraft carriers is the lack of fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft, fixed-wing carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, and fixed-wing carrier-based tankers, which are essential to maintain the carrier's combat effectiveness.
We should adopt an attitude of being prepared for danger in times of peace and courageously catching up, so as to recognize ourselves, face up to the gap, and promote the development of the aircraft carrier cause. According to the plan,"003"Construction of the aircraft carrier will begin in 2020 and is expected to enter service with the Navy around 2027.
Ours"003"The aircraft carrier will be benchmarked against the world's most advanced U.S. active nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, equipped with nuclear power and all-electric propulsion systems, equipped with electromagnetic catapults and advanced carrier-based aircraft, and its overall performance will be in the forefront of the world.
Subsequently, through two to three years of training run-in, by 2030 we can form combat effectiveness.
For a hundred years, China has dreamed of having aircraft carriers in order to build a powerful navy. However, during the Westernization Movement of the late Qing Dynasty, China tried to build a navy, but the heart-wrenching outcome of the First Sino-Japanese War made this dream come to naught.
In 1928, Jiang Mou, who had just come to power, said confidently at the launching ceremony of the "Xianning": "In order to restore the country's sovereignty, we must build a strong navy and make China a first-class naval power in the world."
I believe that in the next 15 years, our navy will reach 600,000 tons, becoming the world's first-class naval power. These words are encouraging, but the reality is not.
Despite the fact that in difficult times we had to resort to the tactic of "long live the little gunboats", the state never gave up its investment in the development of the Navy. We purchased an aircraft carrier training ship "Ninghai" from Japan, and although the cost is limited, it shows our determination and belief in the modernization of the navy.
The aircraft carrier fleet is a "heroic iron army" that defends thousands of miles of maritime frontiers and safeguards national interests. Aircraft carriers are the key to China's move towards a "blue-water navy", and without them, the protection of our maritime rights and interests will not be able to be put into practice.
In the 1993 "Galaxy" incident, for example, the US Navy openly intercepted our "Galaxy" merchant ship on the high seas on the grounds that "China was sending chemical raw materials to Iran," but our naval forces were unable to provide strong protection.
The Navy does not have aircraft carriers, just as an army does not have tanks and an air force does not have aircraft. ”
New Copywriting: The development of aircraft carrier technology will undoubtedly bring huge economic and social benefits. Taking the Soviet Union's third-generation aircraft carrier "Varyag" as an example, its construction scale is large, the number of industries involved, the number of experts, and the number of factories and scientific research institutes are all rare in history.
However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the "Varyag" was given to Ukraine as a legacy, and it was difficult for Ukraine, a medium power, to undertake its maintenance and maintenance on its own. This example fully illustrates that the development of aircraft carrier technology requires strong national strength and resource support.
With the help of the construction of the "Liaoning Ship" and the "Shandong Ship", we have accumulated valuable experience in the construction of giant ships, cultivated a large number of outstanding ship talents, upgraded the national defense industry, improved marine defense facilities, and laid a solid foundation for China's navy to move towards a broader "deep blue sea".
At the same time, as the "important weapon of the country", the aircraft carrier brings together the most cutting-edge scientific and technological and engineering wisdom of mankind, and it is also a concentrated test and demonstration of a country's comprehensive national strength, especially the strength of the manufacturing industry.
In the process of aircraft carrier design and construction, it can promote the development of relevant high-tech industrial chains and enhance China's scientific and technological strength and innovation capabilities as a whole.
Two bullets"During the development period, there were constant doubts at home and abroad, and Comrade Qian Xuesen firmly responded: "The Chinese nation has suffered greatly from war, and is more eager for peace and opposes war than anyone else.
But the element of war remains, and this is an undeniable reality. After decades of development and the unremitting efforts of several generations, China's pace of moving towards the world stage is accelerating, which is an irresistible trend. "
An important strategic support for our rise as a great power is these millions of square kilometers of blue land. However, our 10,000-mile sea area is not calm, there are disputes over sea areas and islands and reefs, and we are also facing the double turmoil of small Southeast Asian countries and the United States.
Therefore, we need new ones"Divine weapons"to protect us. Now, China's aircraft carrier fleet has begun to take shape and is gaining momentum. In the future, China's aircraft carrier fleet will contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the prosperity and stability of the world.