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China's 1st aircraft carrier to be launched by year's end: spy head

Central News Agency

2011/04/25 23:21:54

By Emmanuelle Tzeng, Chen Yi-wei and Sofia Wu

Taipei, April 25 (CNA) China's first aircraft carrier could set sail by the end of this year, Taiwan's intelligence chief said Monday.

"China's first aircraft carrier -- The Varyag -- could start its maiden voyage before year's end, " National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Teh-sheng said at a hearing of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee.

The Varyag (the Russian name of the carrier) , which was bought from Ukraine, will mainly carry out training missions in its initial stages of use, but it would definitely possess certain combat capabilities, Tsai said.

Fielding questions from ruling Kuomintang Legislator Lin Yu-fang, Tsai further said the planes to be deployed on the Varyag would likely be China's home-made jet fighters patterned after Russia's SU-33.

The national spy chief also said Chinese pilots have almost completed aircraft carrier landing training.

Lin said after the legislative hearing that most Western media outlets believe that China has dubbed its home-made, carrier-based fighter the J-15.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Defense Minister Lin Chong-pin said China began preparations for launching its aircraft carrier battle group in the late 1980s, including developing carrier-based planes and manpower training.

In recent years, China has built various new types of warships to accompany the aircraft carrier, Lin said, adding that the launch of the Varyag would mark the last step for China to complete its first aircraft carrier battle group.

Lin, who is now a professor at Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, said the aircraft carrier battle group will probably be assigned to China's South China Sea fleet to deter conflicts in the disputed area and ensure the security of its oil shipping routes in the Indian Ocean.

The Varyag battle group is not likely to be deployed in the Pacific Ocean because it cannot compete with the strong U.S. fleet in the region, Lin said, adding that China would continue to rely on its submarine fleet in that sector.

He further said China, well aware of the U.S.'s current financial woes and its need to cut its defense budget, has deliberately leaked information about its aircraft carrier and stealth fighter development as a signal to the U.S. of its increasing military might, enhancing its regional influence.

China's official Xinhua News Agency posted a picture of the carrier earlier this month on its website with the caption, "Giant ship to make maiden voyage, Chinese dream comes true after 70 years."

The aircraft carrier will reportedly be renamed Shi Lang, after a Ming Dynasty admiral who surrendered to the Qing Court and helped it conquer Taiwan in 1681.

The carrier is 302 meters long and 70.5 meters wide, with a loaded displacement of 67,000 tons and a speed of 29-31 knots. It can host up to 50 planes of various types, including jet fighters, anti-submarine helicopters and early warning helicopters.