Beijing Unveils New Aircraft Carrier to Much Fanfare
Bedecked with colorful giant streamers and fluttering red flags,
China launched its first homemade aircraft carrier Wednesday in a ceremony
shown nationwide.
The carrier was transferred from dry dock into the water at the
port city of Dalian, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The warship
designed to accommodate up to 36 fighter jets is a source of great pride for
many Chinese, and marks the country's entry into the elite group of countries
including Russia and the U.S. to have built one of the massive warships.
"It symbolizes the rise of China, which will also boost
China's ability in dealing with territorial disputes," Nankai University
military expert Sun Haidong told NBC News. Beijing is locked in disagreements
with its neighbors over who controls the South China Sea.
It will be China's second aircraft carrier, joining an existing
one commissioned in 2012 which was refurbished out of a Soviet vessel bought
from Ukraine.
Both carriers use conventional steam power.
After a few years of testing and training, the new aircraft
carrier is projected to enter full service in 2020.
China is reportedly building its third aircraft carrier in
Shanghai, which will look more like a U.S. aircraft carrier, according to
Chinese experts.
State-run Global Times newspaper quoted a Chinese navy
researcher as saying that China will need "at least five to six aircraft
carriers ... in order to protect China's territories and overseas
interests."
China will need "two carrier strike groups in the West
Pacific and two in the Indian Ocean," the researcher Yin Zhuo told the
newspaper.
In comparison, the United States Navy currently maintains a
fleet of 10 nuclear-powered supercarriers that are much bigger than any Chinese
counterpart. President Donald Trump has vowed to boost that number to 12
SOURCE;MSNBC
NEWS
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