China's Third Aircraft Carrier

Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard Group has started building China's second indigenous aircraft carrier last year, according to sources close to the People’s Liberation Army. The aircraft carrier will reportedly have a displacement of about 80,000 tonnes which 10,000 tonnes more than China's first aircraft carrier, Liaoning.

Liaoning was formerly Ukraine's unfinished Varyag which China bought in 1998. It was rebuilt and commissioned into service in 2012. The second aircraft carrier is an indigenous design based on the Liaoning. Construction started in November 2013, and the still unnamed Type 001A vessel was launched in Apr 2017. It is expected to be commissioned in late 2018 or early 2019.

The new vessel, designated as CV-18, will use an advanced catapult launch system that is more sophisticated than the Soviet-designed ski-jump systems used in its other two aircraft carriers.  

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In Graphic: China's Type 001 Aircraft Carrier, Liaoning

Infographic on China's first aircraft carrier, the Type 001 Liaoning.

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China's Aircraft Carrier Visiting Hong Kong

China’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning aircraft is in Hong Kong for the first time. 

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China Prepares to Launch Indigenous Aircraft carrier

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier is ready to be launched as it marked the 68th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy ­on 23 Apr.  Online pictures emerging from Dalian, Liaoning province revealed a large aircraft carrier of 315 metres in length, 75 metres wide with a displacement of 70,000 tonnes. It is slightly larger than China’s first aircraft ­carrier, the Liaoning which was refurbished from the semi-completed Soviet carrier Varyag, which Beijing bought from a Ukrainian shipyard in 1998.

The new ship, provisionally named as Type 001A has a bigger hangar and deck space for a larger complement of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. It also features the same ski-jump ramp as the Liaoning.

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Work has already started on the third aircraft carrier, the Type 002. The Type 002 will reportedly incorporate a conventional steam launch catapult and will be launch sometime after 2020.




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Commentary on J-15 Fatal Crash

Chinese observers commented on the finding of the cause of fatal J-15 crash on 27 April 2016.  There was interest on whether this indicated a delay in operationalising the Liaoning, China's sole aircraft carrier. Meanwhile, other Chinese media published reports on the largest complement of aircraft yet seen on the Liaoning - a total of eight J-15 fighters and two helicopters.

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USS Theodore Roosevelt

US Navy aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt docks in Singapore's Changi Naval Base on 24 Oct 2015. It has just completed a 6-months combat deployment to the Arabian Gulf, where its aircraft flew sorties against the Islamic State extremists.

CNA