PLAN beefs up naval aviation

Russia to Deliver Aircraft Equipment for China’s Navy

Yesterday there were meetings in Beijing of vice premier and defense minister Sergey Ivanov with the premier of the PRC state council, Web Jiabao, and PRC defense minister, General-Colonel Cao Gangchuan. The prospects of military and military-technical cooperation were discusses at them, in the area of which right now a deadlock is being observed. Sergey Ivanov only reported on the results of the secret negotiations that Russo-Chinese military cooperation will be developing even further. According to Kommersant’s information, details of contracts were discussed in Beijing for the delivery for China’s navy of almost 40 Ka-29 assault transport helicopters, more than 20 Ka-31 radar patrol and control helicopters and also more than 15 Be-200 anti-submarine amphibious airplanes, which are equipped with the modular “Morskoy Zmey” ((Sea Dragon)) search and targeting system.

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The Be-200 in China on trials

The Sea dragon system

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There will be 40 Ka-29 and 20 Ka-31AEW.

A normal airwing on the Kuznetsov Class is

16 x Yak-141
12 x Su-33 (Su-27K)
18 x KA-27PLO
4 x KA-27LD32
2 x KA-27S

And includes the SSN-19 lanuchers and a whole other bunch of weapons china cannot import.

We can rule out these helicopters for destroyers in large numbers because the average chinese destroyer can only carry two at the most. The only conclusion I see in such a large purchase would be a carrier of some sort. Maybe the Varyag or a helicopter carrier china is planning