https://twitter.com/PDChina/status/857046980614176768
http://www.newsweek.com/china-navy-aircraft-carrier-military-589483
People were expecting it to be launched any day now and People's Daily just confirmed it minutes ago. You may be thinking who cares or getting scared. This is their first domestically built aircraft carrier. The remarkable thing is that they first started it just 2 years ago. It is very similar or identical to the Soviet-era one they purchased from Ukraine with a ski-jump style takeoff. It is conventionally powered and only 70000 tons. This is not going to challenge the US, Japan, SK or even India which is close to finishing its own. But this will be a bane for smaller nations like Vietnam and Philippines. If this is stationed near the ports they are developing near the South China Sea, they have a rather credible deterrent. It won't lead any strike groups and is not entirely blue water capable like the US nuclear aircraft carriers, but this will be designed for easy takeoff of medium bombing jets or upto 28 to 36 J-15 fighters which are carbon copies of the Russian Su-33 which is why they made this aircraft carrier nearly identical to the Soviet designed one theyr purchased. China has always lacked power projection beyond its mainland. Coupled with the stolen land in the South China sea, ports being built in Sri Lanka or Pakistan, and the fact they can knock out of a decent aircraft carrier in under 2 years, they should be able to maintain adequate defense of their maritime areas and trade routes. India definitely needs to be worried. They decommissioned Britain's old one and only have a Soviet-era Russian aircraft carrier themselves. Japan has 4 better 'helicopter' carriers, but China with 2 more of these and maybe even one with a nuclear reactor will pretty much have crazy force projection throughout east-Asia. Thoughts?
Picture of the Shandong aircraft carrier at Dalian ready for launch.
Picture of the J-15 which China copied exactly from the Russian Su-33. They expect this aircraft carrier may utilize 28 or more of these jets.
http://www.newsweek.com/china-navy-aircraft-carrier-military-589483
People were expecting it to be launched any day now and People's Daily just confirmed it minutes ago. You may be thinking who cares or getting scared. This is their first domestically built aircraft carrier. The remarkable thing is that they first started it just 2 years ago. It is very similar or identical to the Soviet-era one they purchased from Ukraine with a ski-jump style takeoff. It is conventionally powered and only 70000 tons. This is not going to challenge the US, Japan, SK or even India which is close to finishing its own. But this will be a bane for smaller nations like Vietnam and Philippines. If this is stationed near the ports they are developing near the South China Sea, they have a rather credible deterrent. It won't lead any strike groups and is not entirely blue water capable like the US nuclear aircraft carriers, but this will be designed for easy takeoff of medium bombing jets or upto 28 to 36 J-15 fighters which are carbon copies of the Russian Su-33 which is why they made this aircraft carrier nearly identical to the Soviet designed one theyr purchased. China has always lacked power projection beyond its mainland. Coupled with the stolen land in the South China sea, ports being built in Sri Lanka or Pakistan, and the fact they can knock out of a decent aircraft carrier in under 2 years, they should be able to maintain adequate defense of their maritime areas and trade routes. India definitely needs to be worried. They decommissioned Britain's old one and only have a Soviet-era Russian aircraft carrier themselves. Japan has 4 better 'helicopter' carriers, but China with 2 more of these and maybe even one with a nuclear reactor will pretty much have crazy force projection throughout east-Asia. Thoughts?
Picture of the Shandong aircraft carrier at Dalian ready for launch.
Picture of the J-15 which China copied exactly from the Russian Su-33. They expect this aircraft carrier may utilize 28 or more of these jets.
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