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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 31 December, 2020

  • 6 Min Read

China to launch 3rd Aircraft carrier in 2021

China to launch 3rd Aircraft carrier in 2021

  • The launching of China’s third and largest aircraft carrier is likely to take place next year, with a renewed push to take forward military modernisation plans amid a number of territorial and maritime disputes.

  • China one year ago launched its second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, which was the first to be built at home. It joined the Liaoning, which was developed by retrofitting a Soviet-era cruiser and commissioned in 2012.
  • The Shandong, which has already been deployed in the Taiwan Straits and in the South China Sea, is only likely to be combat-ready next year.
  • Two larger aircraft carriers are being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard near Shanghai, the first of which is likely to be launched in 2021. This means it could be commissioned into service and be combat-ready by 2023.
  • This will be China’s first that has an integrated electric propulsion system, an upgrade from its Soviet-modelled carriers, as well as an electromagnetic launch system for aircraft. Chinese strategic experts have previously said the PLA Navy is working towards six aircraft carriers, with two likely to be deployed in China’s near seas, including for the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, two for the western Pacific and two for the Indian Ocean.

Source: TH


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