Chinese aircraft carrier programme

Class overview
Builders:	Changxingdao Shipyard, Shanghai
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
In service:	2015 (projected)[1][2]
Planned:	2-5[3][1]
General characteristics
Type:	aircraft carrier
Displacement:	est. 50,000–60,000 tons[1] (conventional) 60,000-plus tons (nuclear)[3]
Propulsion:	Conventional and nuclear[3]
Aircraft carried:	Shenyang J-15/Chinese Naval Flanker?[4]

Since the 1970s, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has expressed interest in operating an aircraft carrier as part of its blue water aspirations, and press reports have frequently quoted senior Chinese military officials as expressing an intention to build aircraft carriers.^[2] On 7 June 2011, People's Liberation Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde confirmed that China was constructing its own aircraft carrier.^[5]

Since 1985, China has acquired four retired aircraft carriers for study: the Australian HMAS Melbourne and the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk, Kiev and Varyag. Reports state that two 50,000-60,000 ton Type 089 aircraft carriers based on the Varyag, are due to be finished by 2015.^[1] Sukhoi Su-33s (navalized Flankers) are the aircraft most likely to be flown from these carriers,^[6] but China is also developing its own version of the Su-33, the J-15.^[7]

Acquisition of retired aircraft carriers

Chinese shipyards have gained some exposure to carrier design with the acquisition of retired hulls such as the Australian HMAS Melbourne acquired in 1985. Through various ventures, China has also purchased the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk^[8] and Kiev. These carriers have become floating amusement parks for tourists.

There had been other plans to purchase foreign second-hand carriers in the past. For example a possible deal between China and France for the sale of the Clemenceau fell through in 1997.^[9]

ex-Varyag

Main article: Chinese aircraft carrier ex-Varyag

Varyag

The 67,500 ton ex-Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag (Admiral Kuznetsov class), which was only 70% completed and floating in Ukraine, was purchased through a private Macau tourist venture in 1998. Following her troublesome tow to Dalian shipyard, the carrier has undergone a long refit. Varyag had been stripped of any military equipment as well as her propulsion systems prior to being put up for sale. News reports state that she is being refitted to be returned to operational status.^[1][10]

On 10 August 2011, it was announced that the refurbishment of Varyag was complete, and that it was undergoing sea trials.^[11][12]

ex-Kiev

Main article: Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev

Several days after ex-Varyag went on its first-sea-trial in August 2011, ex-Kiev welcomed guests in its new role as a luxury hotel with a £9.6 million ($15.6 million) refit. The owners believe that China's naval ambitions as well as a general curiosity about aircraft carriers will result in public interest.^[13]

Acquisition of designs

In addition to the acquisition of retired aircraft carriers of foreign navies, the PLAN has been actively purchasing foreign aircraft carriers designs as well. One such example was its effort to purchase the blueprints for proposed conventional take off/landing ships from Empresa Nacional Bazan of Spain; the 23,000 ton SAC-200 and the 25,000 ton SAC-220 designs. Negotiations started between 1995 - 1996 but it did not result in any purchase. However, the Spanish firm was paid several million US dollars in consulting fees, indicating the probable transfer of some design concepts.^[9]

After the Spanish firm had submitted its findings, Russian warship designer Nevskoye Design Bureau completed an aircraft carrier design for China in the late 1990s to meet the Chinese requirement but neither Russia nor China disclosed the price. Neither did the two countries reveal any information on whether China was satisfied with the design or not. In any case, no aircraft carriers based on the design were built, as limited Chinese industrial capabilities in the late-1990s made it impractical for China to start any construction of aircraft carriers.

A complete set of blueprints of a foreign aircraft carrier design was obtained by China when it purchased the decommissioned Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev. Russia insisted on China buying the blueprints as well for higher price, but neither country has revealed the exact dollar value. However, based on the official information released by the Chinese government on aircraft carriers, all of which dictates conventional design, the V/STOL design does not appear to fit the Chinese requirement.

The complete set of blueprints of a foreign aircraft carrier design obtained by China when it purchased the incomplete Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag is the most recent purchase. Ukraine urged China to increase the original $18 million bid to include additional purchase of the complete set of blueprints of the design, and after negotiations, China agreed to pay another $2 million to purchase the complete set of blueprints. According to the memoir of Chinese embassy staff members who participated in the process, the blueprints reached China before the ship. This conventional design offers more capability than smaller, V/STOL designs.

In February 2011, Ukraine sentenced a Russian national to six years in prison for stealing secrets to assist China in its carrier program. According to the Ukraine, Aleksandr Yermakov was being paid by Chinese authorities to steal military secrets related to carrier operations from the Land-based Naval Aviation Testing and Training Complex, located in the Crimea near the city of Saki.^[14]

Early plans

The first official plan of PLAN aircraft carrier dated back on March 31, 1987 when the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense approved the plan on the aircraft carrier and the next generation nuclear submarine for PLAN submitted by the then commander-in-chief of PLAN, Liu Huaqing. The original plan was to be progressed in stages, with basic research to be completed by the end of the 7th 5-year plan, and development of the platform and aircraft to be completed by the end of the 8th 5-year plan. By 2000, construction was to begin when ordered.

To prepare the commanders needed for the future aircraft carriers, the Central Military Commission approved the program of training jet fighter pilots to be future captains in May 1987, and the Guangzhou Naval Academy (广州舰艇学院) was selected as the site.^[9]

However, Liu Huaqing’s plan proved to be too ambitious as the domestic Chinese industry at the time could not meet the goal demanded by the plan. As a result, the plan was drastically scaled back to basic research level and the date for an aircraft carrier entering PLAN service was postponed and eventually put on hold. In the meantime, pilot candidates for warship captain training was also altered, with candidates switched to ship-borne helicopter pilots, because it was considered that naval helicopter pilots with much more ship-borne aviation experience would be better prepared than the land-based jet fighter pilots who lack ship-borne aviation experience.

Current status

In mid-2007, Chinese domestic sources revealed that China had purchased a total of four sets of aircraft carrier landing systems from Russia^[15] and this was confirmed by Russian manufacturers. However, experts disagreed on the usage of these systems: while some have claimed that it is a clear evidence of the construction of an aircraft carrier, others claim these systems are used to train pilots for a future ship. In August, 2008, Mr. Huang Qiang (黄强), the speaker of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced to the public at a news conference that China had mastered all of the technologies for an aircraft carrier, and would build aircraft carriers in the future when time was deemed right. The strongest proof of a Chinese aircraft carrier also appeared in 2008, from an official Chinese governmental source when the training program of jet fighter pilots for warship captains were resumed: PLA Daily (解放军报 published the news of Dalian Naval Academy (大连舰艇学院) accepting a total of 50 jet fighter pilots for warship captain training in 2008, and in comparison to the first class that was held more than one and half a decade ago at Guangzhou Naval Academy (广州舰艇学院), the training has been lengthened to four years. Resumption of this plan is viewed by foreign observers and military analysts as another step in preparation for an aircraft carrier entering service.

There are also some reports of a possibility of China building two nuclear powered aircraft carriers,^[16] though how reliable these are can be questioned.^{[by whom?]} According to the Nippon News Network (NNN), research and development on the planned carriers is being carried out at a military research facility in Wuhan. NNN states that the actual carriers will be constructed at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.^[17] Kanwa Intelligence Review reports that the second carrier to be constructed will likely be assigned to Qingdao.^[18]

It was also reported in 2009 that the Brazilian Navy will train PLA naval officers in carrier operations in exchange for assistance on nuclear submarine technology and additional funding.^{[19][unreliable source?]}

According to a February 2011 report in the The Daily Telegraph, the Chinese military has constructed a concrete aircraft carrier flight deck to use for training carrier pilots and carrier operations personnel. The deck was constructed on top of a government building near Wuhan.^[20]

On 7 June 2011, People's Liberation Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde confirmed that China was constructing its own aircraft carrier. He stated he would provide no further details until it was complete.^[21]

On July 30, 2011, a senior researcher of the Academy of Military Sciences said China needed at least three aircraft carriers. "If we consider our neighbours, India will have three aircraft carriers by 2014 and Japan will have three carriers by 2014, so I think the number (for China) should not be less than three so we can defend our rights and our maritime interests effectively." General Luo Yuan. ^[22] In July 2011, a Chinese official announced that two aircraft carriers were being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.^[23]

On 10 August 2011, it was announced that the refurbishment of the Chinese aircraft carrier ex-Varyag was complete, and that it was undergoing sea trials.^[11][12]

See also

• List of aircraft carriers in service
• Jiangnan Shipyard

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Minemura, Kenji (2008/12/31), China to start construction of 1st aircraft carriers next year, Asahi Shimbun, archived from the original on 26 May 2009, http://replay.web.archive.org/20090526192305/http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200812310046.html 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Japan defense minister's China visit a sign of warming relations". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2009-03-23. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-03/23/content_7607571.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-30. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "China Has Plans For Five Carriers". Aviation Week. 2011-01-05. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news/dti/2011/01/01/DT_01_01_2011_p71-272520.xml. Retrieved 2011-04-30. 
4. ^ "China’s Aircraft Carriers". Strategycenter.net. 2009-03-10. http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.193/pub_detail.asp. Retrieved 2011-04-30. 
5. ^ Global Times, "PLA Chief Confirms Vessel Is 'Under Construction'", 8 June 2011.
6. ^ 26-Mar-2009 08:46 UTC (2009-03-26). "China to Buy Su-33 Carrier-Based Fighters from Russia?". Defenseindustrydaily.com. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/china-to-buy-su33-carrierbased-fighters-from-russia-02806/. Retrieved 2011-04-30. 
7. ^ Fulghum, David A.. "New Chinese Ship-Based Fighter Progresses". Article. Aviation Week. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2011/04/27/02.xml&headline=New%20Chinese%20Ship-Based%20Fighter%20Progresses&next=0. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 
8. ^ "Former Soviet aircraft carrier sold in China for $16mln". http://en.rian.ru/world/20060531/48857033.html. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} "China's Aircraft Carrier Ambitions: Seeking Truth from Rumors." Storey, I.; Ji, Y. Naval War College Review. Winter 2004, Vol. 57, No. 1.
10. ^ Jon Rosamond, 'China completes joint exercise with UK aircraft carrier,' Jane's Navy International, November 2007, p.6
11. ^ ^{a b} Hille, Kathrin (2011-08-10). "China’s first aircraft carrier takes to the sea". The Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b20cdce-c300-11e0-8cc7-00144feabdc0.html. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "China's first aircraft carrier begins sea trials". CBC News. 2011-08-10. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/08/10/china-aircraft-carrier.html. 
13. ^ "China launches second aircraft carrier after a £9.6m refit... as a luxury hotel". Daily Mail (London). August 11, 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024729/China-launches-second-aircraft-carrier-9-6m-refit--luxury-hotel.html?ITO=1490. 
14. ^ Johnson, Reuben F., "Russian sold secrets for China’s first carrier" Washington Times, 14 February 2011, p. 1.
15. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (March 6, 2009), Speculation Grows on China Aircraft Carrier Plans, Associated Press via abcnews, archived from the original on 7 May 2009, http://replay.web.archive.org/20090507232348/http://a.abcnews.com/International/wireStory?id=7020155 
16. ^ Ryall, Julian (2009-02-20). "Hillary Clinton's visit to China sparks alarm in Japan". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/4730952/Hillary-Clintons-visit-to-China-sparks-alarm-in-Japan.html. Retrieved 2010-05-03. 
17. ^ (in Japanese) 中国の国産空母の建造、最前線を報告 [China's indigenous aircraft carrier construction, the frontline report], January 10, 2010, http://www.news24.jp/articles/2010/01/10/10151306.html  Google translation
18. ^ Kanwa Intelligence Review, "Long-Range SAMS Deployed In Qingdao", April 10, 2010.
19. ^ Hsiao, Russell (12 June 2009). "PLAN Officers to Train on Brazilian Aircraft Carrier". China Brief Volume: 9 Issue: 12. The Jamestown Foundation. http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=35116&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=13&cHash=f072084889. Retrieved 26 April 2010. 
20. ^ Harding, Thomas (7 February 2011), Concrete Evidence Of China's Naval Ambitions, London: The Daily Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8307646/Concrete-evidence-of-Chinas-naval-ambitions.html 
21. ^ Global Times, "PLA Chief Confirms Vessel Is 'Under Construction'", 8 June 2011.
22. ^ http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_needs_at_least_three_aircraft_carriers_general_999.html
23. ^ Gertz, Bill, "China begins to build its own aircraft carrier", Washington Times, 2 August 2011, p. 1.

External links

• "China To Launch Carrier This Year: Taiwan", 25 April 2011