Tuesday, September 25, 2012

China's Aircraft Carrier Milestone

At a naval base in Dalian,Liaoning Province in Northeast China,the aircraft carrier Liaoning,China's first,was delivered and commissioned Tuesday.Navy contractor China Shipbuilding Industry Commission endorsed a People's Liberation Army flag for the ship and a naming certificate to Senior Captain Zhang Zheng,commander of the new carrier.Zhang had previously commanded a frigate and destroyer.
The Liaoning is a retrofit of a an old Soviet era vessel,the Varyag.New engines and weapons were installed,and a year of sea trials were carried out.The ship's crew includes more than 50 officers with advanced degrees,as well as female sailors.China is the tenth country in the world to have an aircraft carrier in its navy.
China is currently contesting the ownership of what it calls the Diayou Islands with Japan,but Fang Bing,a professor at the PLA's National Defense University,said the commissioning was unrelated to the territorial issue.Chinese President Hu Jintao and outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao attended the ceremony.
The number and types of aircraft on the Liaoning were not disclosed,although foreign military intelligence will ascertain those facts from satellite photos and other sources.

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