Chinese navy takes delivery of first aircraft carrier

Well, with tensions rising in Asia, this seems very timely!

adelaidenow

The handover ceremony of the 300-metre (990-foot) ship, a former Soviet carrier called the Varyag, took place in northeast China's port of Dalian after a lengthy refitting by a Chinese shipbuilder, the Global Times reported.
During the handover ceremony the aircraft carrier raised the Chinese national flag on its mast, the PLA flag on its bow and the navy's colours on its stern, the short online report said.
A ceremony to place the ship into active service would be held sometime in the future, the paper said without elaboration.
China's defence ministry was unavailable to comment on the ceremony.

The navy finally has the ship, but no information on what systems it is likely to operate. Congrats to the Chinese on finally being able to put this thing in operation.

reply to post by DaesDaemar


This is old news mate.

Link

Nice, delivered 2 years ahead of schedule; or was China just talking air like how they said they bought a russian aircraft carrier to make it into a hotel?!.. only to later refurbish it into an aircraft carrier..

either way, it seems China needs to keep up the pace since India and Japan have already started their carrier programmes, and the US is unbeatable in that sector

Originally posted by DaesDaemar

The navy finally has the ship, but no information on what systems it is likely to operate.

From the China Times...

Want Daily quoted the Qianjiang Evening News in Hangzhou as reporting that full-size models of J-15 fighter and three types of missile — the KJ-88, YJ-83K and YJ-91 — could be seen aboard the aircraft carrier, suggesting that the sea trials of the vessel itself have been completed and the next stage of a trial for onboard weapons has been launched.

China's first aircraft carrier ready to enter service: report

Realistically, Naval aviation is difficult and expensive. Look at Britain and France's efforts to keep an operational carrier funded and in truth one medium tonnage carrier isn't enough to establish air superiority and project any meaningful amount of firepower.

There is a reason Russia was willing to sell the hull.

They still have a long way to go.

Just in time to calm down the recent island disputes between Japan and China.

This is something to pay attention to, since they could show this new toy to the Japanese amid the dispute for the islands.

China wants more aircraft carriers by 2014

"If we consider our neighbors, India will have three aircraft carriers by 2014 and Japan will have three carriers by 2014," General Luo was quoted as saying by Beijing News. "So I think the number (for China) should not be less than three so we can defend our rights and our maritime interests effectively."

more aircraft carriers for everyone

reply to post by whywhynot


Old news that it has the carrier, but not it's handing over to the Navy which suggests it's now fully operational.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


Thanks for that link, I should have looked harder

They sold it due to the fall of the USSR, they couldn't afford it any longer. China does not seem to have such problems.

And they have plans to add many more to their ass-'n-hole in the coming decade or so.

At the risk of playing the devil's advocate, the US might want to 'preëmptively strike' before they're faced with a comparable military force with incomparably larger army.

After all, US military spending is decreasing while Chinese ordnance will only continue to grow as their economy tapers off.

It's Communism 101: as economic conditions worsen and the populations' tensions invariably rise, ipso facto, government agenda shifts to a nationalistic focus.

Watch for chinese versions/clones/copies of it to come in the future just like many soviet/russian/us/others military hardware.

reply to post by DaesDaemar


Ships are handed over well before they're fully operational. They still have acceptance trials, weapons tests, and they are a LONG way away from having a fully operational air wing.

The US Navy gets ships months before they're considered fully operational, with just the builders trials completed. Then the Navy has to do their trials, which occur over the course of several months, in a few cases I've heard it's been over a year before they were fully operational.

All this means is that it's now a PLAN ship, instead of a hull undergoing shipyard trials.

ETA: On a side note, her name is Liaoning now.

Originally posted by Sablicious
At the risk of playing the devil's advocate, the US might want to 'preëmptively strike' before they're faced with a comparable military force with incomparably larger army.

It will be many years before the Chinese military even comes close to the US military in terms of operations or operational capabilities. They still have to start to write the book on carrier ops, flight ops, and all the other things that the US has been practicing for decades now.

Originally posted by RizeorDie
Nice, delivered 2 years ahead of schedule; or was China just talking air like how they said they bought a russian aircraft carrier to make it into a hotel?!.. only to later refurbish it into an aircraft carrier..

either way, it seems China needs to keep up the pace since India and Japan have already started their carrier programmes, and the US is unbeatable in that sector

Well the Chinese refurbished it from scratch, after it was completed for 70% it was then stripped from all electronics by the Russians, seems as though the Chinese are well on schedule forfor their next two domestically build in 2015.And I wonder I'd the Japanese will have two more, not only for helicopters

reply to post by DaesDaemar

Please....this thing is nothing more than a Target...and probably isn't worth the Anti-Ship Missile or Torpedo that would SINK IT! Nothing like slapping LIPSTICK ON A PIG! Split Infinity

reply to post by Zaphod58


Thanks for the info.

Liaoning?

Liaoning meaning the peaceful valley of the Liaohe River

source

I'd like to read a true account the first time Chinese pilots land on a carrier at night, in bad weather, and high seas.
It takes time to learn how to launch and recover in all kinds of scenario's.

reply to post by SplitInfinity


You are very quick to dismiss anything military other than American. You have inside knowledge as to how this has been fitted, the systems they use?

Originally posted by GarrusVasNormandy
Just in time to calm down the recent island disputes between Japan and China.

This is something to pay attention to, since they could show this new toy to the Japanese amid the dispute for the islands.

Umm
what are they going to put on it?
the two planes they just unveiled?
I believe the Japanese have a decent navy already,. certainly will be interesting

reply to post by DaesDaemar

It's fitted with a Belt with three Chipmunks Running on that turns a prop. Split Infinity

reply to post by Lil Drummerboy


That's just it, they've accepted it, but estimates are that it will be 4-5 years minimum before they even have a minimally functioning air wing to put on board. And it will probably be closer to 20 years before they approach the point that our navy was at in the 1980s time frame when it comes to carrier ops.