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World
Naval News - China |
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| PLAN's
first aircraft carrier tests a success |
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The
vessel, the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, has been overhauled
for its new role as a platform for research and naval pilot training
at the Dalian shipyard in Northeast China.
"The recent sea trials of the aircraft carrier
achieved the anticipated objectives," Defense Ministry spokesman
Yang Yujun told a news conference in Beijing.
The Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier was 70%
complete when China bought it from Ukraine for $20 million in 1998.
Before being sold, the ship was disarmed and its engines were removed.
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| Ex- Varyag
during refit in Dalian |
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China started a total
overhaul of the ship in 2005, along with the development of carrier-based
aircraft.The 1,000-feet vessel is designed to carry 26 aircraft and 24
helicopters.Chinese military experts believe that the vessel could be
commissioned by the Chinese Navy in a few years. |
