Jul.08 (China Military Power Mashup reporting by Johnathan Weng) — This latest video at present is the clearest motion pictures of J-15, which is named as “Flying Shark” and a carrier-based fighter aircraft that is in development by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the 601 Institute for the PLAN’s future aircraft carriers.

October.11 (China Defense Mashup Reporting by Johnathan Weng) — Have you ever seen that changing a building roof into a aircraft carrier? Now you is going to see this strange scene in Wuhan City, the largest city in central China.

This odd building is found in Huang Jiahu (黄家湖), where there is a huge University City. According to Chinese news resources, this so-called “Comprehensive Testing Platform” project was initiated in about June or July of 2008.

This project is run by the well-known Chinese Warship Research & Design Center (No.701 Institute under CSIC).

From the picture, you can see a mock flight deck, one Su-27 fighter and one Z-8 helicopter (both are probably full scale models). The most obvious is the “Island” commanding structure which is very similar to the one of “varyag” in Dalian. It is very interesting that Chinese people cut a big square opening on the commanding structure. For the picturing angle, there are possibly 3 square openings on other 3 sides of the structure.

Since “China-Defense-Mashup” has reported that “varyag” Aircraft Carrier’s commanding structure has been being improved since the end of August. The “big square openings” indicate that Chinese Navy will certainly equip “varyag” carrier with domestic ship-borne AESA radars, perhaps a improved version on Type 052C Destroyer.

Apr 27 (China Defense Mashup Reporting by Johnathan Weng) — This is the latest report about the China’s overhaul activities on Varyag Aircraft Carrier, which was bought from Ukraine in last century. Today (April 27), about 7:00 AM (Beijing Time), the Varyag Aircraft Carrier has departed from the dock in Dalian Shipyard. The destination place is still not clear.

In April 1998, one small Hong Kong company called the Chong Lot Travel Agency Ltd. Chong Lot won the Varyag hull sale bid of $20 million USD. The company announced that the Varyag would be converted it into a floating hotel and gambling parlor. But actually the the future of Varyag was linked to the People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and its program to develop an aircraft carrier.

Since June 2005, Varyag has been staying in the shipyard of Dalian Shipbuilding Corporation. At the beginning of this year, some rumors arose that the Varyag had moved, but some witnesses proved that is is not true. This time, according to the picture, it looks real.

Just 4 days before, PLA Navy held a grand International Fleet Review off Qingdao marine area for celebrating its 60th founding anniversary. During the international naval activities in that beautiful littoral city, Xinhua news agency released an interview of Admiral Wu Shengli, who said PLA Navy wants larger combat ship. Analysers usually believe that he referred to Aircraft Carrier. Besides, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie also said that Aircraft Carrier can not be always out of consideration of PLA Navy.

Varyag is only a training platform for PLA Navy, whose indigenous 60,000-70,000 tonne carrier will produce in Shanghai this year.

News Story Update: It has been known that Varyag carrier has been moved to another dry dock, according to some photos from Chinese Internet (www.fyjs.cn).

Beijing, Mar.06 (China Military News cited from Chinadaily) — Military deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) yesterday urged the government to start work on building aircraft carriers, saying the defense strategy was “necessary”.

Military delegates reviewing the government report at the ongoing NPC session, March 5, 2009.

“Building aircraft carriers is a symbol of an important nation. It is very necessary,” Admiral Hu Yanlin, former political commissar of the Navy of the People’s Liberation Army, told China Daily.

“China has the capability to build aircraft carriers, and should do so,” he added.

The lastest image of Varyag Carrier in Dalian, and the red circle marked area indicates that China is modifying the front deck

Vice-Admiral Jin Mao, the former vice-commander of the Navy of the PLA, said in the hallway at the Great Hall of the People packed with reporters: “Just wait and see, I have the feeling that news (of China building aircraft carriers) will be announced soon.”

China’s plan to build aircraft carriers made headlines worldwide after Major-General Qian Lihua, director of the foreign affairs office of the National Defense Ministry, told overseas media last November that the country had “every right to possess carriers”.

A national defense ministry spokesman later said China is “seriously considering” building aircraft carriers to protect its vast maritime territory.

BEIJING, Dec 23 (China Military News cited from NY Times by EDWARD WONG)— In the clearest indication yet that China could soon begin building its first aircraft carrier, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that the country was seriously considering “relevant issues” in making its decision about whether to move ahead with the project, according to Xinhua, the state news agency.

Xiao Xinnian, deputy chief of staff of China’s navy, at a news conference Tuesday about the deployment of ships off Somalia. The spokesman, Huang Xueping, said at a news conference in Beijing that aircraft carriers were “a reflection of a nation’s comprehensive power,” indicating that Chinese government officials saw value in adding a carrier to the country’s fleet. Mr. Huang said that China would use any aircraft carrier built in the future to safeguard its shores and defend “sovereignty over coastal areas and territorial seas,” Xinhua reported.

If China does decide to build the carrier, it will no doubt increase tensions with the United States, Taiwan and Japan, among other governments. China has been expanding its navy at a fast pace. The government has built at least 60 warships since 2000, and its fleet of 860 vessels includes about 60 submarines.

Last month, a senior Chinese military official hinted in an interview with The Financial Times that China would like to build an aircraft carrier. The official, Maj. Gen. Quan Lihua, said having a carrier was the dream of any great military power and suggested that the United States had nothing to fear if China did build a carrier.

The United States has 11 aircraft carriers, but only a handful of other nations — including Britain, France, Italy and Russia — have carriers, and of those, none have more than a few.

The Ministry of National Defense had called the news conference on Tuesday to give details about the deployment of Chinese naval ships off the coast of Somalia, where an increase in piracy has made the shipping lanes the most dangerous in the world. Three Chinese ships are scheduled to head to the area on Friday.

The buildup of the Chinese military could change the balance of power across the Taiwan Strait. The Communist Party views Taiwan as a rebel province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. But the United States government has said it may come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of hostilities with China.

In October, the Pentagon announced the sale of $6 billion of advanced weapons to Taiwan, a move that prompted criticism from China. The United States regularly sells arms to Taiwan, and China has long denounced the sales.

Beijing, Dec.11 (China Defense Mashup Report by Johnathan Weng) — India medias are reporting that India is setting up a shore-based training facility (SBTF) here for MiG-29K and Naval LCA aircraft and saying that mock flight deck facility will be the third one in the world, the other two in U.S. and Russia. But today Chinese Interest appears a photo, which shows that one mock flight deck facility in an unknown PLA Air Force Base.

One mock flight deck facility in an unknown PLA Air Force Base

India’s Admiral Gorshkov Aircraft Carrier being repaired in Russia

Here is one India report about its SBTF, report from ZEEnews

Goa, Nov 09: To help its fighter pilots hone their skills ahead of more aircraft carriers joining the fleet, the Navy is setting up a shore-based training facility (SBTF) here for MiG-29K and Naval LCA aircraft.

 This will be the third such mock flight deck facility in the world, with only the US and Russia having the other two.

The work on the SBTF has already started at the Naval air base INS Hansa, which houses the Navy’s fighter squadrons and training squadrons flying the existing fleet of Sea Harriers, Navy sources told reporters here.

The work on setting up the SBTF with the ski-jump facing the sea-front in INS Hansa has been handed over to Goa Shipyard Limited, a Defence public sector undertaking, through the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

GSL sources said the SBTF is likely to be completed next year, much ahead of schedule in 2010.

Coinciding with the SBTF getting ready for use by naval fighter pilots for training, India would get the delivery of the first four MiG-29Ks early next year, after a delay of nearly six months from the original deadline of September this year.

The rest 12 of the 16 MiG-29Ks, for which India signed a deal with Russia in January 2004, would come by later next year.

Of the 16 aircraft, four would be twin-seater trainer aircraft and the rest single-seaters. India has plans of ordering 29 more MiG-29Ks as a follow-on purchase.

INS Hansa is already getting the hangers and maintenance station for the MiG-29Ks ready and hopes to put the SBTF to good use so as to train its fighter pilots in Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) landings.

“The pilots would be practicing short take off over the SBTF that will resemble the ski-jump on board the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and arrested landings using a tail hook fitted to the aircraft, first on the shore before they try it out on board an aircraft carrier,” Navy officials in INS Hansa said.

Arrested landing is essentially a difficult task as pilots experience immense force that could throw occupants out of the aircraft if they are not properly secured with seat belts.

In fact, during arrested landings, the aircraft is usually flown at take-off speeds ranging from 150 kmph to 200 kmph, but its velocity is arrested to a zero kmph within seconds of the tail hook locking onto the arresting cables on board the flight deck of the aircraft.

All of these drills would be practiced on the SBTF at INS Hansa by fighter pilots.

In fact, these preparations for training the pilots is at an advanced stages, as India expects to receive INS Vikramaditya (erstwhile Admiral Gorshkov of the Russian Navy) from Sevmash Shipyard in Russia sometime around 2012.

With the SBTF and the MiG-29Ks available for use by Navy pilots from 2009, the Navy hopes to get their pilots’ training going for three years on the shore and operate the aircraft from INS Hansa, before they actually get on board INS Vikramaditya.

In fact, India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) under construction at Kochi too will have a ski-jump for STOBAR operations of fighters.

Also, the Navy was hoping to operate the HAL-built LCA’s naval version on its aircraft carriers, though the DRDO project was yet to come up with even a prototype despite being launched over two decades ago.

However, whenever the Navy gets the LCA, it would like to operate the aircraft on INS Vikramaditya and IAC using the ski-jump on board the two warships.

Beijing, Sept.10 (China Military News cited from Chinamil.com.cn) — The Dalian Naval Academy held an orientation course for the first batch of 50 newly recruited pilot cadets yesterday (Aug 4). The first pilot program of recruiting pilot cadets is an important decision made by the PLA Navy to realize a strategic transformation in the new period.

The first batch of pilot cadets will receive a four-year education in the ship-borne aircraft flight field of study by relying on the automation field of study of the Dalian Naval Academy. During the four years, they will focus on the basic theories of surface ship and flight apart from the basic theories and skills required in the automation field of study.

The Google-earth satellite image of PLA Navy’s Varyag

Analysts believe that the PLAN will use Varyag as a training platform for carrier take-offs and landings. Robert Karniol, the Asia editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, said: “The Chinese haven’t seen this type of carrier before and it could be very useful to them. They are trying to vacuum up as much know how as they can.” Liu Huaqing, a senior admiral of the PLAN and proponent of naval modernization, has spoken of the 21st century as the “century of the sea” and called for naval modernization over several decades. At the same time, there has been resistance within the PLAN at Liu Huaqing’s vision for an extensive Chinese navy, leading to constant debates between developing aircraft carriers and submarines.

On 24 October 2006, the Kommersant online daily newspaper revealed Russia plans to sell up to 50 Su-33 fighters for in a $2.5 billion deal. The deal has gone through according to the February 2007 issue of Air Forces Monthly. Also photos in the Dalian Shipyard have shown that a yellow anti-skid primer was added to the flightdeck. Then the final flight deck turf layering was added on top of it. The vessel has also been painted in the standard PLA Naval colours. This may indicate that the PLA Navy intend to use the ex-Varyag as an operational carrier at some point in the future.

The first pilot training program indicates that PLA Navy has initiated the final stage of “Aircraft Carrier” project with overhaulled Varyag.