China’s Problematic Second Aircraft Carrier Goes For Yet Another Sea trial
China’s second aircraft carrier seems to facing multiple functional problems. Now after certain rectifications it will be embarking on its sixth sea trial on Saturday, judging from videos, pictures, and an announcement of military trials in relevant waters. Military experts said on Sunday that the likely trial will feature comprehensive and final tests to study the problems which have been faced in the last 5 trials.The warship will be commissioned only after that.
After a display of fireworks China’s first domestically built Type 001A aircraft carrier set out from the Dalian Shipyard in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province under the assistance of multiple tug boats on Saturday, according to unverified videos and photos posted on Chinese social media on Saturday.
The aircraft carrier movement coincided with a navigation restriction notice released by the Maritime Safety Administration of China. The notice, published on Friday, said a military mission is scheduled from Friday until May 31 in the Bohai Strait and northern part of the Yellow Sea just outside of Dalian, and other ships are prohibited from entering the designated area. According to the coordinates provided by the administration, the military mission covers a wide maritime area south of Dalian where the Type 001A is moored.
Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert said that the likely sixth sea trial could feature comprehensive and final tests before the warship’s commissioning into the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
After the Type 001A conducted its fifth sea trial from late February to early March, it stayed in the Dalian Shipyard and underwent further outfitting works and checks including flight deck painting and conducted a replenishment drill within the shipyard with the supply ship Hulunhu in late April, media reported.
Li said the sixth sea trial could again test those problems that were encountered during previous trials and then solved during the past months.
“If the ship can smoothly finish this trial mission, it indicates that it is basically fit to be delivered,” Li said.
This sea trial could be crucial, and it may not be the final trials before the aircraft carrier’s commissioning, Li said. More than a year has passed since the domestically made carrier undertook its first sea trial on May 13, 2018. This itself makes things quite clear.
