China reveals 'secret' aircraft carrier
By Yang Jian |
July 28, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S Defense Ministry yesterday confirmed a "secret" that has been the subject of speculation around the world for some years.
An imported aircraft carrier body is being fitted out to be China's first aircraft carrier, it said.
"China is making use of an old aircraft carrier body for renovating to be used for scientific research, experiments and training," ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told a press conference.
"The warship has been docked at sea, but the time for its first sea trial will depend on the refitting schedule.
"As an important part of the research and training program, training for aircraft pilots is also in progress," he said.
Geng said the pursuit of an aircraft carrier program would not change the navy's inshore defense strategy.
He did not name the ship, but the Varyag, which was purchased from Ukraine in 1998, is the country's only imported aircraft carrier currently being refurbished.
The craft was originally built by the former Soviet Union, which failed to complete the ship's construction before its collapse in 1991. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China.
The warship is due to receive final adjustments at a shipyard in the port city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province before embarking on its maiden voyage.
Video footage and pictures from the Xinhua news agency showed three cranes and many workers on the carrier's deck.
The ship's hull has been repainted the navy gray shade used by the People's Liberation Army.
The reconstruction of the aircraft carrier is a long-term project and there is a long way to go before the warship can become operational, Geng said. "Both overestimation and underestimation of China's future aircraft carrier have been wrong," he added.
Jamestown Foundation, a think tank based in Washington DC, speculated that the initial sea trials of the ship would start next month.
Yesterday's official confirmation ended years of speculation regarding China's acquirement of an aircraft carrier.
Once the refitting is complete, China will become the last of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to own a carrier.
Military officials remain tight-lipped about the project, but Chinese military experts have provided a more detailed picture of the ship and its capabilities.
Cao Weidong, a researcher with the PLA Navy's Academic Research Institute, said the vessel was a conventionally powered medium-sized carrier that will be equipped with Chinese engines, aircraft, radar and other hardware.
Fixed-wing aircraft on the carrier will use a ski-jump to take off, instead of a catapult system, Cao said.
The Huffington Post, an American news website, speculated that China would build three more aircraft carriers in addition to the Varyag before 2020. France-based Defense-aerospace.com said that China would build more than three aircraft carriers because the country had bought four defense systems for the warship from Ukraine.
"China does need at least three aircraft carriers - one for patrolling, another for training and the third for maintenance," said Li Jie, another Chinese military expert.
An imported aircraft carrier body is being fitted out to be China's first aircraft carrier, it said.
"China is making use of an old aircraft carrier body for renovating to be used for scientific research, experiments and training," ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng told a press conference.
"The warship has been docked at sea, but the time for its first sea trial will depend on the refitting schedule.
"As an important part of the research and training program, training for aircraft pilots is also in progress," he said.
Geng said the pursuit of an aircraft carrier program would not change the navy's inshore defense strategy.
He did not name the ship, but the Varyag, which was purchased from Ukraine in 1998, is the country's only imported aircraft carrier currently being refurbished.
The craft was originally built by the former Soviet Union, which failed to complete the ship's construction before its collapse in 1991. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China.
The warship is due to receive final adjustments at a shipyard in the port city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province before embarking on its maiden voyage.
Video footage and pictures from the Xinhua news agency showed three cranes and many workers on the carrier's deck.
The ship's hull has been repainted the navy gray shade used by the People's Liberation Army.
The reconstruction of the aircraft carrier is a long-term project and there is a long way to go before the warship can become operational, Geng said. "Both overestimation and underestimation of China's future aircraft carrier have been wrong," he added.
Jamestown Foundation, a think tank based in Washington DC, speculated that the initial sea trials of the ship would start next month.
Yesterday's official confirmation ended years of speculation regarding China's acquirement of an aircraft carrier.
Once the refitting is complete, China will become the last of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to own a carrier.
Military officials remain tight-lipped about the project, but Chinese military experts have provided a more detailed picture of the ship and its capabilities.
Cao Weidong, a researcher with the PLA Navy's Academic Research Institute, said the vessel was a conventionally powered medium-sized carrier that will be equipped with Chinese engines, aircraft, radar and other hardware.
Fixed-wing aircraft on the carrier will use a ski-jump to take off, instead of a catapult system, Cao said.
The Huffington Post, an American news website, speculated that China would build three more aircraft carriers in addition to the Varyag before 2020. France-based Defense-aerospace.com said that China would build more than three aircraft carriers because the country had bought four defense systems for the warship from Ukraine.
"China does need at least three aircraft carriers - one for patrolling, another for training and the third for maintenance," said Li Jie, another Chinese military expert.
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