China launches first home-built carrier
China launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier, widely referred to as the Type 001A, on 26 April, an event that had been eagerly anticipated by the Chinese public as well as naval pundits around the globe.
The launch of the red ribbon- and flag-festooned vessel from its China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation dry dock occurred at Dalian, Liaoning Province on the northeast coast of China.
No name has been given to the ship yet, but many commentators believe ‘Shandong‘ is the most likely moniker for hull number ‘17’.
It is expected that another two years of trials will
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