The Carrier With No Name
By James Donahue
The Chinese navy is currently conducting sea trials on the first commercially built aircraft carrier and the second carrier to join the nation’s fleet. While launched with much fanfare at a Dalian shipyard, the vessel remains unnamed even though it is now at sea.
The lack of a name makes it difficult to make reference to this massive 1,033-foot long ship.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been actively involved in modernizing the Chinese military that includes developing modern naval, air and missile forces.
Identified only as a Type 001A carrier, news writers around the world have been keen in seeking out the potential names that will eventually be given this ship. A Taiwanese newspaper said the vessel may be named the Shandong and that it will be based in Qingdao, Shandong province.
Yet another report said the name Shi Lang is being considered. This is the name of a Qing Dynasty admiral who conquered the Kingdom of Tungning, now known as Taiwan, in 1681.
The design of this carrier is similar to the Liaoning, the first aircraft carrier added to the naval fleet in 2012. This ship had its origins in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, in 1985. It was only partly completed when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and it sat rusting until it was purchased by China in 2000 and reconstructed as a working carrier.
The Liaoning has been used as a training vessel during construction of Type 001A.
The new unnamed carrier will carry from 32 to 36 J-15 fighter jets, which is small compared to the USS Gerald Ford, which is about twice its size and carries 75 aircraft. The Chinese carriers are diesel powered compared to the nuclear-powered ships in the U.S. Navy.
By James Donahue
The Chinese navy is currently conducting sea trials on the first commercially built aircraft carrier and the second carrier to join the nation’s fleet. While launched with much fanfare at a Dalian shipyard, the vessel remains unnamed even though it is now at sea.
The lack of a name makes it difficult to make reference to this massive 1,033-foot long ship.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been actively involved in modernizing the Chinese military that includes developing modern naval, air and missile forces.
Identified only as a Type 001A carrier, news writers around the world have been keen in seeking out the potential names that will eventually be given this ship. A Taiwanese newspaper said the vessel may be named the Shandong and that it will be based in Qingdao, Shandong province.
Yet another report said the name Shi Lang is being considered. This is the name of a Qing Dynasty admiral who conquered the Kingdom of Tungning, now known as Taiwan, in 1681.
The design of this carrier is similar to the Liaoning, the first aircraft carrier added to the naval fleet in 2012. This ship had its origins in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, in 1985. It was only partly completed when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and it sat rusting until it was purchased by China in 2000 and reconstructed as a working carrier.
The Liaoning has been used as a training vessel during construction of Type 001A.
The new unnamed carrier will carry from 32 to 36 J-15 fighter jets, which is small compared to the USS Gerald Ford, which is about twice its size and carries 75 aircraft. The Chinese carriers are diesel powered compared to the nuclear-powered ships in the U.S. Navy.