China about to launch second aircraft carrier
China is About to launch its second sircraft carrier The Shandong is the first carrier designed and built in China.The new Type 001A aircraft carrier is an improved version of China's only operational aircraft carrier, the 60,000-ton Type 001 Liaoning, which is a refurbished Soviet carrier. With a displacement of around 65,000 tons, the Shandong will be slightly larger than the Liaoning.
Once launched, the ship is expected to be in service within two years.
Powered by oil-fired boilers and steam turbines, the ship will have an estimated operational range of 3,850 nautical miles (7,130kilometers) at about 32 knots. It will carry 24 multi role fighter jets. Ten helicopters and a range of missiles.
The new carrier features a so-called ski-jump assisted Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) launch system which limits the range of aircraft but future carriers are expected to use more advanced catapult technology used by U.S. aircraft carriers.
The Chinese navy's Equipment Research Centre has said that the country needs at least five or six aircraft carrier strike groups to protect China’s territories and overseas interests.
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