Richard A. Bitzinger, National Interest: Coming Soon: Asia's Great Aircraft Carrier Arms Race?
Aircraft carriers, it seems, are all the rage nowadays in Asia. Long written off by some as bulky, oversized “cruise missile magnets,” the flattop appears to be enjoying a new lease-of-life as of late.
Until quite recently, only two nations in the Asia-Pacific operated fixed-wing carriers: India with a 50-year-old-plus ex-British carrier; and Thailand with its “pocket carrier,” the Chakri Nareubet. Both vessels could only operate aging Harrier jump jets, and most of these aircraft were in fact long inoperable.
Today, China operates one aircraft carrier, the ex-Soviet Varyag, refurbished and rechristened the Liaoning. In addition, India is in the process of accepting two new carriers, one based on the 45,000-tonne Admiral Gorshkov (sold to India in 2004 and heavily refitted as the INS Vikramaditya), and an indigenously built INS Vikrant, which is currently undergoing sea trials.
Read more ....
Update: This chart shows how China, India, and Japan are competing to develop their own aircraft carriers (Business Insider)
WNU Editor: The U.S. is also responding to the "race" .... The US Navy’s $13 Billion Answer to China and Russia (Ciro Scotti, Fiscal Times).
