Third operational deployment at sea for the Chinese Navy Type 002 Shandong aircraft carrier.

According to information released by the Global Times Chinese newspaper website, the Chinese-made Shandong aircraft carrier also called Type 002 will be deployed at sea for the third time to conduct military training with fighter jets and other warships.
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The Chinese-made Shandong aircraft carrier also called Type 002. (Picture source Chinese MoD footage)

The Chinese-made Shandong was built by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, part of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. The manufacturing of the ship began in November 2013 and laid down the keel for its hull in a drydock beginning in March 2015. She was commissioned on 17 December 2019 at Sanya, Hainan by Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping and was officially named Shandong.

The first sea trial of the carrier took place in May 2018 in the Bohai Sea. This was followed by eight more trials through November 2019 for a total of about 19 months before the carrier was commissioned. The ninth and final sea trial, which commenced on 14 November 2019, was conducted simultaneously with a training exercise in the South China Sea.

Citing the Global Times, this is the third time the Shandong aircraft carrier has set out for missions in 2020. The first training was reportedly held in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea from May 25 to June 17, and the second took place in the Bohai Sea from September 1 to 22, 2020.

In October 2020, we have announced that the Shandong aircraft carrier has successfully completed a series of training exercises including combat capabilities, naval aviation operations, damage control, and emergency response.

The Shandong aircraft carrier can carry a total of 44 aircraft including 24 J-15 Fighter, three J-15D EW Electronic Warfare Fighter, six Z-18F ASW ( Anti-Surface Warfare ) Helicopter, four Z-18Y AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) Helicopter, two Z-18A VIP Transport Helicopter, one Z-8JH Medical Helicopter and two Z-9S Rescue Helicopter. She has a crew from 2,500 to 2,625 sailors. The Shandong aircraft carrier is a modified version of the Liaoning Type 001 Soviet-Navy Kuznetsov-class design and likewise uses a skijump takeoff method for its aircraft.