Naval official says China will build a bigger carrier
By Yang Jian |
April 25, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA will build a larger aircraft carrier capable of carrying more fighter jets than its first one, the Liaoning, according to a senior officer with the People's Liberation Army Navy.
"China will have more than one aircraft carrier ... The next aircraft carrier we need will be larger and carry more fighters," Song Xue, deputy chief of staff of the PLA Navy, said on Tuesday. He was speaking at a ceremony in Beijing attended by foreign military attaches to mark the navy's 64th anniversary, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
Song said reports that the carrier was being built in Shanghai were inaccurate, without giving more details.
The Liaoning, currently China's only aircraft carrier, is Russian-made but was refitted in China and delivered to the navy on September 25 last year.
It conducted successful take-off and landing tests with carrier-borne J-15 fighters in November.
Crew members have mastered all the weapon systems, Zhang Zheng, the Liaoning's captain, told the attaches.
The Liaoning can carry about 30 fixed-wing aircraft, Song said.
The carrier program has been the most eye-catching element of China's naval buildup, which also includes ballistic missile submarines, modern destroyers and stealth missile frigates.
Song said that the navy was creating a naval aviation force for the Liaoning, and there would be at least two aviation regiments on the carrier, including fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, electronic countermeasure planes and rotary-wing aircraft.
More than 1,000 Chinese enterprises were involved in refitting the Liaoning, Song said.
He said that the foreign attaches would be invited to visit the vessel.
"China will have more than one aircraft carrier ... The next aircraft carrier we need will be larger and carry more fighters," Song Xue, deputy chief of staff of the PLA Navy, said on Tuesday. He was speaking at a ceremony in Beijing attended by foreign military attaches to mark the navy's 64th anniversary, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
Song said reports that the carrier was being built in Shanghai were inaccurate, without giving more details.
The Liaoning, currently China's only aircraft carrier, is Russian-made but was refitted in China and delivered to the navy on September 25 last year.
It conducted successful take-off and landing tests with carrier-borne J-15 fighters in November.
Crew members have mastered all the weapon systems, Zhang Zheng, the Liaoning's captain, told the attaches.
The Liaoning can carry about 30 fixed-wing aircraft, Song said.
The carrier program has been the most eye-catching element of China's naval buildup, which also includes ballistic missile submarines, modern destroyers and stealth missile frigates.
Song said that the navy was creating a naval aviation force for the Liaoning, and there would be at least two aviation regiments on the carrier, including fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft, electronic countermeasure planes and rotary-wing aircraft.
More than 1,000 Chinese enterprises were involved in refitting the Liaoning, Song said.
He said that the foreign attaches would be invited to visit the vessel.
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