China doubles the size of its carrier fleet
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its second conventional aircraft carrier, and the first to be built indigenously, at Sanya-Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island on 17 December. Chairman Xi Jinping attended the ceremony welcoming CV17 Shandong into China’s navy.
The name and hull number of the 50,000t carrier were in line with expectations. This makes China just the fourth country to operate multiple carriers.
Xi presented a flag and naming certificate to the new carrier’s commanding officer Snr Capt Lai Yijun and its political commissar Snr Capt Pang Jianhong. Lai was formerly a frigate commander.
The type designation
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Naval Warfare
-
![SEA to trial sonar software for UK Royal Navy]()
SEA to trial sonar software for UK Royal Navy
The UK Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare Spearhead programme, run by the service’s Develop Directorate, has been investigating future and existing technologies with a particular focus on the USV arena.
-
![Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD]()
Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD
A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.
-
![Royal Navy’s new Dreadnought SSBNs to be equipped with OSI’s ECPINS]()
Royal Navy’s new Dreadnought SSBNs to be equipped with OSI’s ECPINS
The contracts between OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) and BAE Systems Submarines will encompass continued support for the Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) and the future Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN).
