Posted on 02/16/2014 11:38:36 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
China plans to build four aircraft carriers in total to boost its naval power and exert its maritime claims, according to a Russian media report.
Official reports in January said that the PLA plans to have at least two aircraft carriers by 2015 or 2016 and said the country's second aircraft carrier is indeed under construction as previous unofficial reports had claimed. The country plans to build four aircraft carriers in total, the state newswire Xinhua citing a Russian weekly newspaper as reporting.
China commissioned the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet-era carrier purchased from Ukraine, in 2012. Future carriers are expected to be built domestically and take the Liaoning as their blueprint, at least initially.
The report further said construction appears to be behind schedule, but Beijing has mapped out a clear plan for its development. China's aircraft carrier program is set to be implemented in two phases, the report said, the aim being to build two carriers to establish carrier battle fleets to operate while two more advanced carriers are developed.
The report said the first two planned conventionally powered aircraft carriers may have a displacement of between 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes. The second phase may see the construction of two nuclear-powered carriers with an electromagnetic catapult system and displacement of 65,000 tonnes. These could possibly enter service by the late 2020s.
In order to carry out the second phase, the government approved a plan in February to build vessels that use nuclear power, the report said.
However, the Ministry of National Defense denied claims that it has plans to build more aircraft carriers at present.
The Communist Party secretary of Liaoning province, Wang Min, had said in January that an aircraft carrier was being built in Dalian, the port city where the Liaoning carrier was refitted. But reports related to Wang's remarks were promptly deleted from the internet for unknown reasons.
So long Taiwan.
We are downsizing and it won’t take long before China catches up. They are making great inroads into Africa and the ME. South America is on their radar and they making definite inroads there.
I’m an old Army guy, but the tripwire for me with China is when they start laying keels for multiple aircraft carriers.
A true American president, like Reagan, Eisenhower or Coolidge, would go a long ways towards fixing that.
Pei-Ping.
Don’t worry China, dumBO will give you some of ours, if, you name a golf course after him.
Another huge “win” for the “free trade” bloc of the GOP.
Why should they bother. Wait a couple years until hussein completely destroys our military and they’ll be able to call in those outstanding loans and walk right in.
Well, they have the money to do it. Be interesting to see how well they do it.
Crap. Doing it with our money, too. Hard to believe we have arrived at this point in history.
Yes....supporters of Free Trade with Communist China have a lot of responsibility for this
It wasn’t too long ago that subsidizing the enemy got one executed for Treason
Huge bump.
Bring back American manufacturing.
We need to compete, not buy Chinese imports. China is winning. China is building up, and selling stuff to us.
American needs to bring back American manufacturing.
Now.
If a revolution is forced upon us our shores will be wide open as DHS and other alpha agencies will be hunting at home.
Lord have mercy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.