China is moving up the navy power ladder with the upcoming completion of its first ever domestically built aircraft carrier that is expected to make the country a superpower in the field.
A report from Asia Today posted in the Huffington Post indicates the progress of the construction of China's first indigenous aircraft carrier point to the direction of a more powerful People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN).
Meanwhile, the United States remain confident that the PLAN would not reach a point that it could overpower the Pentagon's clout in the sea though there may be some truth in the Asia Today report in terms of the Chinese naval power.
China's Current Aircraft Carrier
According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), China is currently using a second-hand ship from the Soviet Union which was originally built as a "heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser" called the "Liaoning."
Its capability is way different than other countries' aircraft carriers in both capability and size, placing second next to the American's Nimitz-class carrier USS Ronald Reagan that weighs some 97,000 tons when fully loaded and spans to about 333 meters long.
The Liaoning has a typical speed of about 20 knots and weighs 60,000 tons. Its capabilities are also limited due to its turbine power plant which hinders it from outrunning potential threats in the sea.
Its aircraft launching system also have limited capabilities though the carrier's "air wing represents a significant leap in air capability for the PLAN," said CSIS.
Despite this, the mere presence of the Liaoning and the inevitability of the completion of China's very own indigenous aircraft carrier is believed to have massive effects in the country's global power.
"Already with China's so-called starter carrier, Liaoning, there is significant potential in the near future to take it overseas for some basic naval diplomacy . . . and this will already have tremendous symbolic and psychological effects," explained Andrew Erickson, of the U.S. Naval War College (NWC)'s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI).
The Type 001A
In a May report, the Asia Times noted that China's aircraft carrier Type 001A is rapidly making progress particularly in its Dalian drydock.
It is said to be designed after the Soviet Admiral Kuznetsov class carriers which means it would have about the same power as the Liaoning and displace around 60,000 tons to 70,000 tons.
The Type 001A is also seen to be able to carry around 30 to 40 helicopters and J-15 fighter jets with its steam turbine-powered engines by the time it is launched sometime in 2017.