China's navy to take delivery of first aircraft carrier this year
Central News Agency
2012/03/08 22:42:35
Taipei, March 8 (CNA) A senior colonel with the Chinese navy confirmed that China's first aircraft carrier would be handed over to the navy this year but would not enter full service, the Hong Kong China News Agency reported Thursday.
According to the report, Li Jie said that most of the installation and engineering works on the carrier, the "Varyag," were close to completion and the ship could be delivered to the navy this year to carry out "a certain level of operations at sea."
On speculations that the Chinese navy was hurrying to put the carrier into service, Li said the project "was being carried out under strict arrangements."
Meanwhile, according to a report on China's Legal Evening News, Major General Luo Yuan of the People's Liberation Army said the aircraft carrier would fully complete the Chinese navy's structure once it joined forces with its guided missile destroyers, missile frigates and nuclear-powered submarines.
China obtained the carrier from Ukraine at an auction for about US$100 million via Chunluck Company, a Hong Kong-based enterprise funded by Beijing.
The maiden sea trial of the carrier was launched on August 2011, followed by three more trials.
(By Jamie Wang)
enditem/npw
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