Скачать или смотреть China’s second aircraft carrier begins sea trials

China’s second aircraft carrier sailed from the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC) shipyard on 13 May to commence initial sea trials, according to Chinese state media, a move which comes just one year and two weeks after the ship was launched.

The ship, which has yet to be given a pennant number and name, is the first aircraft carrier to be wholly constructed in China and has been built to the same basic design as China’s first carrier, Liaoning , which was laid down as the Soviet Navy’s Kuznetsov-class carrier, Varyag .

The ship is configured for short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) aircraft operations using a ski-jump, and will operate the J-15 (‘Flanker’ derivative) fixed-wing aircraft built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.