The PLA Navy and its carrier conundrum (Opinion)
China launched its third aircraft carrier on 17 June. The Type 003 was indigenously designed and built in China. (Photo: Chinese MND)
The three worlds of defence procurement, politics and entertainment unexpectedly converged to become part of a national discussion with June's launch of the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the CV-18 Fujian.
While it is officially the third carrier in the fleet, and thus not the first to be launched by Beijing, it is still in a class by itself, as it is the force's only conventional, flattop design.
The next event in proximity to the CV-18's 'coming out' is the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on 24 February, and has turned into a massive, murderous
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