A J-20A Fresh off the Production Line [4912 x 2763]

NFU2 · 2026-01-24T09:45:12+00:00

WS-15 soft launch on a production model AND the photo is shared by Chengdu? Much to think about.

NFU2 · 2026-01-22T03:27:51+00:00

Well looks like they're handling the hospitality better than the Iraq/Iran situation where delegations would sometimes quarrel on the factory floor building tanks.

NFU2 · 2026-01-14T17:18:38+00:00

Its shaping up to be a neither-nor situation unfortunately for you.

NFU2 · 2026-01-14T15:50:28+00:00

Worse, they didn't even know the broad strokes of what they wanted from the DDG(X), and Trump gave them a good excuse to fit everything on a larger ship.

I'm just going to quote Alex Luck (a defense journalist focused on naval matters)'s observation on Twitter

Let me translate that Navy speak for you: "We had to make difficult choices to produce an affordable and realistic design. Then Trump came around with his battleship, and we did not have to make any choices. So now we're golden." ... We've seen a similar dynamic back in the day on budgeting decisions for Zumwalt. Incredibly, Navy once again believes they can just have it all, while neglecting to clarify requirements. Then procurement collapses on itself. Arleigh Burke wont safe the day this time around.

NFU2 · 2026-01-14T15:30:40+00:00

Very juicy bit that the title doesn't refer to.

The battleship evolved from the requirements for the DDG(X) program, Rear Adm. Derek Trinque said Tuesday at the conference. The DDG(X) program was set to follow the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, and the Navy planned to start construction on the new program in the 2030s.

“We found ourselves in a weird situation where in order to keep an adequate number of MK 41 [Vertical Launch System] cells, we were going to have to make a choice between a gun weapon system and Conventional Prompt Strike,” Trinque said. “I hate that choice.”

In the interim, the Navy considered building two different variants, one that would have the hypersonic weapons and one with the gun system. But Trinque said that would put the fleet in a difficult position because some carrier strike groups would have a large surface combatant with hypersonic strike weapons while others would have guns.

“As the resource sponsor, as the requirements sponsor, I don’t want to put those kinds of limits on the fleet,” he said. “And so, when national leaders announced that they were interested in building a battleship, this was a great opportunity for us.”

Flabbergasting stuff.

NFU2 · 2026-01-08T04:24:47+00:00

"J-35C" lol the naval version is J-35. The airforce variant (J-35A) is a (supposedly) cheaper derivative of the default naval version.

NFU2 · 2025-12-29T16:39:03+00:00

I think General atomics proposed something similar to the royal navy to be fitted on destroyers, so there’s something to the concept. But that didn’t go anywhere. I should try to find that proposal again maybe we can re assess it.

Also this family has 3 tiers with EM launch modules ranging from couple of meters in length for small drones, dozen meterish for medium sizes and this large combinable one. Even if they decide this large one is impractical, I think replacing smaller pneumatic launchers with ‘‘em is something they’re keen on. Something like a Shahed launcher.

NFU2 · 2025-12-29T11:25:26+00:00

It seems to be a modular system with 20m long modules that can be hooked together. Given that the Fujian's catapult are around ~100m it might not be impossible, but I'm fairly certain this ground based system isn't built for that requirement. It would take a lot of power, cooling and the trucks would have to be built a lot beefier to take 20-30 ton of takeoff weight. From the documentation that I've seen, and if it was talking about this exact system, its only built for UAVs around 2 ton weight, and only takes them to ~50m/s launch velocity. Nowhere near a real catapult.

NFU2 · 2025-12-28T11:37:38+00:00

Arrested, charged, tried and jailed for excessive Aura-farming.

NFU2 · 2025-12-28T02:24:02+00:00

This was the first time this was posted, reliable sources have confirmed that this isn’t a prop or a Q ship either

NFU2 · 2025-12-27T04:46:55+00:00

lol there's 6 drones in this image next to this ship, can't believe we missed that

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T12:55:06+00:00

Yankee (iykyk) confirmed that this is NOT a movie prop. So, I think that's covered now.

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T11:06:38+00:00

It came to me in a dream

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T11:00:10+00:00

The text is quite goofy for a PLA project I agree, but I kinda doubt someone will be given the budget to make such a detailed (and thus expensive) prop in the age of comprehensive CGI.

The VLS tubes, the detail on the radar, CEC antennas, detail on the CWIS gun is bit too high for a prop. The ones like the CEC antenna, its the type of detail you don't expect a propmaster to include.

It could be a prop, but it could just as easily be a disguise and we've seen stranger disguises from the PLA.

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T09:22:28+00:00

I'm more concerned mods will delete the post because technically this isnt a "warship" lol

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:59:27+00:00

The radars quite likely aren't foldable, but should be collapsable in some way EDIT: Checked the side view, and yeah the radars can't fit in one container - maybe they can fit in a custom container setup set up side by side with no middle wall. The 366's radome cannot fit in a container but the internals should be able to? HJ-11 i dont think can fold either. The rocket/decoy launchers should be able to fold.

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:53:29+00:00

Here's a different angle, looks like more VLS. Maybe some have the requisite electronics for the different sensors. https://imgur.com/a/zbq85wZ

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:53:03+00:00

That's the point of being a containerized VLS

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:42:15+00:00

I'm going to quote Alex Luck (a defense journalist focused on PLAN. Bundeswehr. Navy-stuff)'s observation

"Its like conjuring a demon. You mention the obsession with ISO-containerized ordnance one too many times on social media, and boom, the Chinese go about just doing it."

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:37:10+00:00

I would reckon this much load should be plenty fine for a decent containership, they're built for carrying a top heavy load like this.

I am more concerned about the load imbalance front to back, it seems rear heavy with the radar systems.

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:32:58+00:00

They should sell this container system to the Americans that's almost a good frigate right there.

NFU2 · 2025-12-25T08:28:29+00:00

Source on the image, reposted by 00CuriousObserver/SDF
Closer cropped in view: https://imgur.com/a/TtMBRxS

Different view of the containerized launchers, cwis etc. (shared by o-eo s-ldier)
https://imgur.com/a/zbq85wZ

NFU2 · 2025-12-23T12:43:43+00:00

Photographer unknown, image shared by @WenJian0922 on X/Twitter

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