China's Defense Ministry Confirmed the Construction of an Aircraft Carrier Type 001A for PLAN.

"This carrier will have different missions than those for the Liaoning (the country's first aircraft carrier)," Senior Captain Zhang Junshe with the People's Liberation Army Naval Military Studies Research Institute told the official PLA Daily on Friday.

"We use the Liaoning to test the reliability and compatibility of systems on carriers, and to train personnel. The second carrier will mainly do what a genuine aircraft carrier is supposed to do: running combat patrols and delivering humanitarian aid."

Zhang said China urgently needs a second carrier, as the country is seeking to improve its defense systems and better safeguard national interests.

"The PLA needs at least three aircraft carriers. When it does, one can be on duty, one can train personnel, and the third can receive maintenance," he said.

Rumors of an indigeneously built aircraft carrier started in 2015 as satellite imagery showing first large construction blocks, then the shape of the hull of a large vessel at Dalian shipyard started popping up.

Type 001A will feature a ski jump to launch its aircraft. Its propulsion system, electronic systems and weapons will all be developed in China and are expected to have better capabilities than those fitted on the Liaoning.

It is not clear yet when Type 001A will be launched in the water. Some sources argue it could happen as early as the Summer of 2016 while other say it will take longer.