Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning conducts drills in Japanese waters.

According to a tweet published by Ryan Chan on May 5, 2022, China PLA Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning conducts flight operations with J-15 and Z-18 in the southwestern waters of Okidaitojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
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Chinese PLA Navy's aircraft carrier Liaoning (Picture source: Japanese MoD)

The Liaoning or Type 001 is the first aircraft carrier that was commissioned into the Chinese Navy. The Liaoning is a refurbished ex-Ukrainian aircraft carrier that China purchased from Ukraine in 1998 as an unfinished ship. 

The ship was rebuilt and commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as Liaoning on 25 September 2012. Its Chinese ship class designation is Type 001. In November 2016, the political commissar of Liaoning, Commodore Li Dongyou, stated that Liaoning was combat-ready.

It is conventionally powered, has an estimated full load displacement of 60,000 to 66,000 tons, and reportedly can accommodate 36 aircraft including 24 Shenyang J-15 fighters, six Changhe Z-18F anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, four Changhe Z-18J airborne early warning helicopters, and two Harbin Z-9C rescue helicopters.

The Liaoning lacks aircraft catapults and instead launches fixed-wing airplanes off the ship’s bow using an inclined “ski ramp.”

The aircraft carrier has a length of 306.4 m (1005 ft 3 in), a beam of 74.4 m (244 ft 1 in), and a draft of 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in). She can reach a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).

The Liaoning aircraft carrier is armed with the Flying Leopard 3000 Naval (FL-3000N) missile system and Type 1030 close-in weapon system (CIWS). Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is supported by ASW rocket launchers.