DALIAN, CHINA — After years of having just a single Soviet-made aircraft carrier, Beijing has upped its military game by going out and actually building one of its own.
The new 50,000-ton, 100 percent made-in-China carrier was launched from Dalian port in the country’s northeast on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The Type 001A aircraft carrier is conventionally powered and equipped with a ski jump-style take off ramp, much like its predecessor, the Liaoning. It’s meant to carry 24 Shenyang J-15 fighter jets and 12 helicopters.
The homemade carrier has yet to be armed and will still have to undergo sea trials, meaning it won’t be formally commissioned until about 2020.
By then, analysts project the Chinese navy will have also expanded to nearly 300 warships, submarines, and logistic support vessels.
China also plans to churn out more aircraft carriers, and is already working on its next generation design, the Type 002, which is expected to be much bigger than the latest model.
