‘Shandong,’ China’s Second Aircraft Carrier, will become PLAN Flagship

Media reports and images from China confirm the forward part of the "Type 002," China's first indigenous aircraft carrier, has been lifted into place and is being joined to the rest of the mammoth vessel.

This warship will be christened the "Shandong" and will sport the hull number 17. It's commissioning is set for 2020, after which it will become the flagship of the North Sea Fleet and the East Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

This forward part of the Shandong includes the "island" housing the bridge and main mast supporting structure. Analysts said this phase is a significant step in readying China's second aircraft carrier for launch by 2017. Sea trials will follow in the same year.

Analysts believe the Shandong will displace between 60,000 to 70,000 tons. Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company in Liaoning began building the carrier in 2015.

The Shandong will probably carry 48 aircraft, a number similar to that of the Liaoning, China's only aircraft carrier but one that was made in Ukraine by the defunct Soviet Union.

The Liaoning can embark 36 aircraft: 24 Shenyang J-15 fighters; 6 Changhe Z-18F anti-submarine warfare helicopters; 4 Changhe Z-18J airborne early warning helicopters and 2 Harbin Z-9C rescue helicopters.

The Shandong will be launched from drydock sometime early 2017 and will be afloat for the rest of the refitting process. This complex process will take at least a few years while sea trials will take another year or two.

The carrier might be fully operational after 2020.

The Shandong is the lead ship in the Type 001A-class aircraft carrier that will consist of only two ships. The second carrier in this class, Type 003, is still in the planning stages but reports claim production of the initial modules of this carrier is in progress.

Type 001A is the first aircraft carrier class independently designed and developed for the PLAN. It's an improved design based on the Liaoning Type 001 aircraft carrier, and also uses a ski-jump bow flight deck.