More Progress on China’s Type 001A carrier

The forward part of China’s domestic aircraft carrier’s island structure, including the bridge and main mast supporting structure, has been lifted into place: a significant step in readying China’s second aircraft carrier for launch.

Images show that the forward part of the island structure of China’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, commonly referred to as the Type 001A, has been lifted into place. (Via cjdby.net)

China’s domestic 001a aircraft carrier shuuld be ready for sea trials by early 2017.

Previous picture showed the separate island with the bridge and and other structure.

The new carrier is thought to be displace 60,000 to 70,000 tons. That’s far short of the new US Gerald Ford class’s 100,000 tons. The Type 001a will probably carry something in the area of 48 aircraft, including 36 J-15 multi-role carrier-based fighters and another dozen Z-18 or Z-9 helicopters. The new ship will probably be launched from drydock sometime early next year and will float pierside for the rest of the refitting process. That will take at least a few years, and ship trials will take another year or two. It will not be fully operational until 2020 or later.

The J-15 is structurally based on the Russian Su-33, the indigenous fighter features Chinese technologies as well as avionics from the J-11B program

SOURCES- Wikipedia, NDTV, Popular Mechanics, Janes, cjdby.net