China's First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier
On April 25th the Peoples' Republic of China has launched its second aircraft carrier
The Type 001A (great name I know) has been built by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation for the communist government of China and is the first carrier to be built in China.
This is China's first ever home built aircraft carrier, and has solidified it as a rising world power.
It has been under construction for a total 42 months and is based off of Russia's only aircraft carrier the Kuznetsoc Class. Although there are various differences that were spotted in satellite imagery.
A carrier is the ultimate power projector, allowing you to send your forces anywhere in the world, and wage war overseas. The Nimitz Class Carriers from America were used in the various Middle Eastern Wars allowing US Planes to launch strikes against various targets without the need for a land based airfield.
Carriers are extremely expensive, measuring in the billions of US Dollars to produce massive Super Carriers like the Nimitz (the only Super Carriers). Measuring in just over 1000 feet long, the Nimitz is a beast with two nuclear reactors powering its 4 propellers and pushing up to 90 Aircraft and 6,000 personnel. It is a small city on the water.
Although both of the Chinese Carriers are significantly smaller than the Nimitz-Class, it still places it above many countries in the world in terms of power projection; despite the fact that it is on par with only carriers from the 50's. This new carrier can only carry 48 planes and must stop every 45 days for refueling, while the standard Nimitz can go months on its nuclear power.
The new Carrier will certainly "spice things up" in the South East Asian waters, where China is flexing it's Navy trying to claim the waters round many small islands; with America trying to keep them in check.
Although China is trying hard to flex it's muscles in Asian waters, America doesn't even have to try to beat them.