Two models of Chinese 5th-Gen fighter in works (PHOTOS) — RT.
Two models of Chinese 5th-Gen fighter in works (PHOTOS) — RT
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Category Archives: Aircraft Carriers
The Most Spectacular Sights From The USS Wasp As It Sailed To Fleet Week
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The trip from Norfolk to New York City aboard the USS Waspwas something you have to see to believe, so it’s a good thing I took a lot of pictures.
From Sunday night to Wednesday afternoon a small group of visitors were given free reign to wander the ship and talk to the sailors and Marines aboard.
I went from the engine room to the bridge talking to people and seeing what I could find. This set of photos are more or less what I saw from on the flight deck alone.
The flight deck is where the aircraft come and go, and the ground crew choreograph an elaborate ritual of time tested maneuvers.
It was quite a sight, and these photos would not have been possible without some serious help, and mighty patience, from the crew.
I will follow this up with a day in the life of a sailor and a tour of ship life from stem to stern.
My first day aboard the Wasp I did not have the cranial unit with hearing protection or the float vest required to be on the actual flight deck
So while I went deep into the ship, I also spent some time up here where it was pretty quiet
Even then, with a bit of patience, there were things to see
But on my second day I found the gear I needed to get right on the flight deck where the aircraft come and go
The cranial unit is the helmet, goggles, and ear protection — the float vest inflates and sends a distress signal once it gets wet — once I had this stuff on all I had to do was stay out of the way
And wait on the weather to clear so these choppers could lift off and fetch the press from NYC that did not want to ride up from Norfolk
So while we moved through the fog banks I asked to come aboard the choppers
The crew were cool and didn’t mind the flash popping off behind them too much
The floors were coated with a layer of grease that made it difficult to walk
The V-22 Osprey wasn’t going anywhere, but I made my way up and asked to look inside while waiting for clear skies
And after a bit of a struggle getting the hatch open Sgt. Whatley invited me aboard
The Osprey has had its share of problems, but Whatley had been the mechanic on this bird for years and all he said was the transition from vertical to horizontal flight was something he couldn’t even describe
The large cargo door was open at the rear and proved far less slick than the Sea Stallion’s
Next to the Osprey these emergency firefighters huddled down against the wind and damp
The guys next to the attack helicopter were also waiting out the weather like everyone else
And they let me climb in the front
And the back of the chopper — that heads up display shows the most vital readings from the gauges below so the pilot doesn’t have to look down
From there I made my way to the new UH-60S — the newest Black Hawk — this one is only two years old
And has the best mechanic assigned to its upkeep — he took me up top and couldn’t keep from explaining all the things he loved most about its design and performance
And then just like that the weather broke and I scrambled over to watch these guys pull the blocks and chains off the Sea Stallion
Seconds before it took off…The prop wash and the turbine wind from this Sea Stallion were so powerful I had to kneel down and lean in to take this shot and the camera was bouncing up and down in front of me
After the choppers were secure the Harrier ‘Jump Jet’ came screeching in from the distance and hovered over the deck
The blast from this was much stronger than from the Sea Stallion and just after I shot this I stepped behind a crane to get out of the way
The Harrier was loud and spectacular and even the flight crew seemed more engaged than they were with the helicopters
With the sun coming down the whole scene was pretty picturesque
Here is the interior of the Harrier seen the following day
Once the aircraft were secure, the USS Wasp needed to bring on fuel and supplies so this USNS ship met up with us
And just as it did the weather turned again and the decision came down to receive only fuel — 400,000 gallons of it over three hours
But even that proved tricky
Tricky, but not impossible and the Wasp sailors did all they needed to make it happen — enough for another photo essay
And once we were refueled, we disengaged and this destroyer pulled up alongside the tanker in the fog to receive its share of fuel
It was a long day for everyone and when it was over the Marines and Sailors enjoyed a USO show and Men In Black 3 …
Before heading off to their sleeping quarters
The following day it was back on the flight deck and standing at parade rest for hours as the ship slowly crawled in to New York harbor
The Blue Angels flew by
Leaving a quivering silence and contrails in their wake
Moments later the ship sailed past the Statue of Liberty as this Marine stood silently by and watched
As we approached Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower — it became totally silent on deck with cheering and whistles coming from crowds ashore — unforgettable
And then the entire crew snapped a salute as we approached the USS Intrepid
And more cheers rolled in from the shore
And then it was a slow crawl as the ship slipped into port and the troops got ready to hit NYC
The 20 Aircraft Carriers Serving On The High Seas Today
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Despite aircraft carriers immense cost, the Navy believes there is no replacing a well-armed, aircraft equipped, sovereign piece of U.S. territory, powered by dual nuclear reactors.
Former Defense Secretary William Cohen was fond of saying that without “flattops” the U.S. has “less of a voice, less of an influence.”
Perhaps, but there is another school of thought that questions the wisdom of floating something that expensive within range of an attack that may send it to the bottom of the sea.
Despite which group you fall into, carriers are likely here to stay as the U.S. works to replace its aging fleet with the new Ford class carriers and China builds up a fleet of its own. We thought we’d take a look at the carriers each country had in service today.
The NAe São Paulo was bought by Brazil for $12 million from France in 2000
Length: 869 ft
Commissioned: 2000
Carries: 39 aircraft including A-4 Skyhawks and S-70B Seahawk helicopters
Crew: 1,920 seamen
Propulsion System: 6 boilers, 4 steam turbines, 2 propellers
History: For an absolute bargain price of $12 million, for a naval flagship, the São Paulo was bought by Brazil to upgrade their ailing fleet.
Originally launched in 1959 by France as the Foch, she served in a number of NATO efforts all around the world.
Since the transfer to Brazil, she underwent an upgrade from 2005 to 2010 and has been stocked with S-70B Seahawk helicopters and A-4 Skyhawks, the latter bought from Kuwait.
The INS Viraat was Britain’s flagship in the Falklands War before being sold to India
Length: 743 ft
Commissioned: 1987
Carries: Up to 30 aircraft, including the Sea Harrier and the Sea King
Crew: Maximum 2,100 crew. Typically 1,207 sailors and 143 airmen
Propulsion System: 4 boilers, 2 steam turbines
History: India purchased the HMS Hermes from England in 1986, renaming it the INS Viraat after a series of upgrades and modifications. The Viraat has been refitted to last for another 20 years while India builds its own aircraft carriers.
As the Hermes, the ship was the Royal Navy Flagship during the 1982 Falklands war
The Cavour is one of Italy’s two aircraft carriers and will host the F-35 JSF
Length: 735 ft
Commissioned: 2008
Carries: 20-30 aircraft, including the Harrier combat jet.
Crew: 451 crew, 203 airmen, 140 command staff and 325 Marines.
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines, 6 diesel generators
History: Launched in 2004, the Cavour’s first mission was an aid mission to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.
The Cavour will be eventually be stocked with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, replacing the aging Harriers. It has room for ten F-35Bs in the hanger and six on the deck.
The F-35B is the version of the jet with a short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi was Italy’s flagship for decades, serving in Kosovo, Libya, and Afghanistan
Length: 591 ft
Commissioned: 1985
Carries: Harrier II fighters, AgustaWestland EH101 helicopters
Crew: 630 crew, 100 airmen, 100 command
Propulsion System: 4 gas turbines, 6 diesel generators
History: Italy’s first aircraft carrier, the Garibaldi was commissioned in 1985. She has a long service history, including combat air operations off Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya.
Harrier fighters from the Garibaldi carried out 30 sorties over the Balkans in 1999. Planes from the Garibaldi carried out 288 missions in the first year of the War in Afghanistan. During the NATO Libya mission, planes from the Garibaldi dropped 160 guided bombs during 1221 flight hours.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s sole aircraft carrier
Length: 1,005 ft
Commissioned: 1991
Carries: 41-53 aircraft. 14 Su-33 fighters, 28 MiG-29K fighters (upcoming), 15 Ka-27 helicopters.
Crew: 1,960 sailors, 626 airmen, 46 command.
Propulsion System: Steam turbines. 8 boilers, 2 turbines, 9 turbogenerators, 6 diesel generators, 4 propellers.
History: While the full name — Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov — is a bit of a mouthful, this ship is one of the largest carriers and the flagship of the Russian Navy.
Originally launched in 1985, the Kuznetsov wasn’t fully operational until 1995 after the fall of the Soviet Union. It has never fought in combat, but has engaged in frequent exercises.
Her sister ship, the Varyag, was never commissioned and sold to China as a hulk by Ukraine.
The Príncipe de Asturias is Spain’s only Aircraft Carrier
Length: 643 ft
Commissioned: 1988
Carries: 29 aircraft
Crew: 1,920 seamen
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines
History: The Príncipe de Asturias is the flagship of the Spanish Navy. Launched in 1982, the ship is armed with 12 20mm guns, 29 aircraft, and Raytheon’s 3D air-search radar. It has served in peace support operations in the Adriatic.
Rumors circulated in May that Spain would put the ship into reserve due to national financial pressures, but it has yet to do so.
The HTMS Chakri Naruebet is basically a glorified Royal Yacht
Length: 600 ft
Commissioned: 1997
Carries: 4 to 6 S-70B Seahawk helicopters, up to 675 soldiers
Crew: 393 sailors, 62 officers, 146 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines, 2 diesel engines
History: The Chakri Naruebet is Thailand’s only aircraft carrier and was built in Spain. The ship has spent most of its life in dock, but has been deployed on several disaster relief missions in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and floods in 2010 and 2011.
Other than a single training day per month, the ship is used for the transportation of the Royal Family of Thailand, its main consistent use.
The HMS Illustrious is the UK’s only carrier, for now
Length: 686 ft
Commissioned: 1982
Carries: Until 2011, 12 Harrier II Fighter Jets and 10 Sea King ASaC helicopters
Crew: 685 sailors, 366 airmen
Propulsion System: 4 gas turbines, 8 diesel generators
History: Illustrious, affectionately called “Lusty” by those serving on her, entered service just after the end of the Falklands War in 1982, and served there as an air station in the postwar years.
She was deployed to Bosnia and Iraq in the 1990s, but was undergoing an extensive re-fit during the initial phases of the Iraq War.
She’ll be replaced once the HMS Queen Elizabeth is commissioned in 2016 .
France’s flagship — The Charles de Gaulle — is the only non-American nuclear powered carrier
Length: 858 ft
Commissioned: 2001
Carries: 20-40 aircraft, up to 800 commandos, 500 rounds of ammunition
Crew: 1,350 sailors, 500 airmen
Propulsion System: Two pressurized water nuclear reactors
History: The Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier commissioned in May 2001.
While originally plagued with production issues — there was a recession at the beginning of construction, allegations of British spying in the middle, and technical issues toward the end — the carrier was deployed to the Indian Ocean during Operation Enduring Freedom and the initial liberation of Afghanistan.
The de Gaulle carried out air strikes against believed al Qaeda targets and conducted combat air-patrols with the U.S. Navy off the coast of Pakistan.
After a series of upgrades, the de Gaulle enforced the United Nations no-fly zone over Libya in 2011. The fleet flew 1,350 sorties during that war.
The USS Enterprise watched the Cuban Missile Crisis from the front lines
Length: 1,123 ft
Commissioned: 1961
Carries: Up to 90 aircraft
Crew: Maximum 5,828 crew. 2,700 crew, 150 Chiefs, 150 Officers, 250 pilots, 1,550 air support personnel
Propulsion System: 8 Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactors. Four steam turbines.
History: The Enterprise was the United State’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and set the pace for the future of Carriers in the U.S.
It took 60,923 tons of steel to build and was one of the ships involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Enterprise was one of the first ships to respond to the declaration of Operation Enduring Freedom in Fall of 2001, expending 800,000 pounds of ordnance.
The ship will be decommissioned at the end of 2012 as the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers enter service.
The USS Nimitz is the first of the latest class of US supercarriers
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1975
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Nimitz, nicknamed “Old Salt,” is the first in its class of supercarriers and has a long history of Naval service. Named after Chester Nimitz, the man who led the Navy throughout the Second World War, the Nimitz first was deployed to the Indian Ocean during the Iran Hostage Crisis.
It provided security at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and was in the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of Desert Storm. It did a world tour between 1997 and 1998, and was stationed in the Persian Gulf in 2003.
The Nimitz‘ home port is Naval Station Everett in Everett, Washington.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower served during the Iranian Hostage Crisis
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1977
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: “Mighty Ike,” or the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, served during operation Eagle Claw during the Hostage Crisis. It went through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea during Desert Storm.
The aircraft of the Eisenhower first dropped ordnance during Operation Southern Watch, the mission to secure Iraqi airspace in the years before the 2003 invasion.
The Eisenhower‘s home port is Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
The USS Carl Vinson flew the first airstrikes of Operation Enduring Freedom
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1982
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Carl Vinson is named after the congressman from Georgia who served in the House during the Second World War, and later oversaw the transition of the Departments of War and the Navy into a singular Department of Defense. The carrier has a number of nicknames — “Starship Vinson,” the “Battlestar,” “The Gold Eagle,” and “America’s Favorite Carrier” to name a few.
It was the carrier that buried bin Laden at sea. It also was the carrier that hosted the UNC vs. University of Michigan NCAA basketball game several years ago.
It is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt flew thousands of sorties during Desert Storm
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1986
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Theodore Roosevelt is stationed at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Nicknamed “TR” or “Big Stick,” the aircraft of the TR flew 4,200 sorties in Desert Storm and dropped 4.8 million pounds of ordnance.
The carrier enforced no-fly zones over Bosnia, Iraq, and carried out airstrikes in Kosovo. In Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the TR’s aircraft flew 3,100 sorties and dropped 59,500 pounds of ordnance.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was the site of the “Mission Accomplished” speech
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1989
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed at Naval Station Everett in Washington and nicknamed “Abe.”
It first was deployed when rendering relief to U.S. personnel on Luzon island in the Philippines during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, moving 45,000 people off the island. It carried out air patrols over Mogadishu in Somalia and was the first carrier to fully integrate female airmen.
It served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. President George W. Bush gave a speech in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner on the ship upon its return. It helped during Japanese Tsunami relief and recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS George Washington has a 200 page Japanese manga comic written about it
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1992
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS George Washington, nicknamed “GW” or “G-Dub”, is currently stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. It was in the Persian Gulf in 2000, and was in New York Harbor after 9/11 providing airspace defense. It has served in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Particularly interesting is the fact that, in order to explain to the Japanese what the aircraft carrier was doing in their harbor, the Navy had a 200 page manga made to explain the ship. 30,000 copies were distributed.
It is the only United States naval ship that is the subject of a full-length and official Manga.
The USS John C. Stennis had a starring role in the Transformers films
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1995
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Stennis has home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington. It’s nicknamed “Johnny Reb,” and is named after the former Senator John Stennis from Mississippi and was commissioned in 1995.
It has served in Operation Enduring Freedom and has engaged in pirate hunting in the Persian Gulf. It was also featured rather prominently in the Transformers films.
The USS Harry S. Truman flew thousands of sorties in Operation Iraqi Freedom
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1998
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Truman, called the “HST” or the “Lone Warrior,” is stationed at the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The HST was launched in late 1996, first serving abroad during the enforcement of the no-fly zone and eventual hostilities over Bosnia.
The HST then served during Operation Southern Watch and flew 1,300 sorties during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The ship passed through the Suez canal coming from the Mediterranean. The ship is now undergoing repairs.
The USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in 2003
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 2003
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Ronald Reagan is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California. It saw a 2006 deployment which brought it to the Persian Gulf.
It’s served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
It provided relief to Japan after the earthquake and Tsunami, and also aided the Philippines after Typhoon Fengshen.
The USS George H.W. Bush is the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier.
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 2009
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: Named after the President, a former Navy airman himself, the USS George HW Bush is nicknamed the “Avenger.”
It’s the most recent Carrier addition to the Navy, delivered only in May 2009. It is the last of the Nimitz class of carriers. It has since served in Operation Enduring Freedom.
China’s ‘Carrier-Killer’ Missile Prowess May Turn Out To Be Just A Bunch Of Hype
 wikipedia commons The ‘Carrier-Killer’ |
The United States has been eyeing China’s development of the DF-21D Carrier-Killer ballistic missile for years, concerned with the possibility of a multi-billion-dollar aircraft carriersinking to the ocean floor in a broken pile of steel.
The media has added to the hype (BI Military & Defense included), but Harry Kazianis at The Diplomat reports that hype could very well be overblown.
Kazianis points to several accounts of the missile that may not be as accurate as originally believed, starting with a recent Focus Taiwan post saying a new ballistic missile base is being installed on the South China Sea.
From The Diplomat:
For one, the report states that “Military experts said the new missile base is equipped with DF-21D anti-ship missiles that have a range of 2,000-3,000 km and are potentially capable of hitting moving targets with pinpoint precision.” U.S. Department of Defense reports suggested the DF-21D missile has a range that “exceeds 1500km.” The article could be citing a widely panned estimate from the English Language China Daily that declared a 2,700km range, which more than likely was citing the DF-21A’s range in error.
The range of such a missile is very important. With rampant speculation that U.S. forces may or may not be able to defend against it, American commanders could be wary of bringing billion dollar naval assets within its sights. In an interview I conducted with RAND Corporation Analyst Roger Cliff back in January, he noted that “solid fuel rocket motors are difficult to shut off, so the amount of energy the missile uses will be the same regardless of what trajectory it is sent on, and it would be difficult for China to deceive the United States about the range of the missile.” Unless the Chinese have made advances to the missiles that are not public knowledge, the range the report cited seems overblown.
Taken together the stories have the perfect mix of rumor and fact that make them appear credible, and we’ll continue to bring updates as they develop.
Now take a look at China’s growing military might >
This New Drone Will Radically Enhance Navy Surveillance Capabilities
Monitoring and tracking surface ships on the open sea presents a unique challenge to the Navy. Something about how radar reacts to water conditions and other elements creates what’s called “sea clutter” and it seriously hampers the military’s ability to track smaller ships and vessels close to shore.
That problem may become a thing of the past with the introduction of Northrop Grumman‘s new Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS) monster high-flying drone that was unveiled yesterday in California.
At nearly 50-feet-long, with a wingspan of more than 130-feet the BAMS is not terribly different than Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk, but what it has that the problem plagued Hawk does not, is a new set of sensors and 360-degree Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) radar.
That radar is what the Navy is banking on to allow them to track whatever they want, from 11 miles up, and for up to 30 hours at a time.
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INFOGRAPHIC: Aircraft Carriers Do A Whole Lot More Than You Ever Thought
Quick! Guess how much fresh water an Aircraft carrier can make in a day. The answer is down the page.
Huntington Ingalls, the shipbuilding powerhouse behind many of the Navy’s newest investments, just put out an infographic explaining some of the additional humanitarian benefits of aircraft carriers, emphasizing the versatility of what are essentially very large, highly equipped moving sea-bases.
From a certain point of view, they’re also floating, mobile hospitals.
Huntington is building both the new Gerald Ford-class aircraft carriers — the most expensive weapon ever developed — as well as the brand new America-class of amphibious assault ships, which will serve a similar purpose at a cheaper price.
The infographic details the capabilities of nuclear aircraft carriers when it comes to being mobile disaster relief bases. Plus, it also give some wild stats about some of the day-to-day abilities of the most expensive weapons in the world.
Answer: An aircraft carrier’s desalinators can make 400,000 gallons of freshwater per day.
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Frequent sea tests for August commissioning of China’s aircraft carrier
POSTED BY CHANKAIYEE2
According to a worldjournal.com report on June 10,China’s first aircraft carrier left for another sea test on June 7 after 6 days of rest. According to Hong Kong’s wenweipo.com, some commentators believe that such frequent sea tests prove that it will soon be commissioned. The Defence Ministry says that it is quite normal to hold many sea tests of the carrier.
It is reported that people guess that after completion of many tests, China’s first aircraft carrier is expected to be commissioned in the navy on August 1, China’s Army Day, and a formal launch ceremony will be held around October 1. The aircraft carrier will be placed under the direct command of the Central Military Commission and will serve in the South China Sea according to initial plans.
According to an analysis made by eastday.com based on the news from Shenzhen SEC Daily and fawan.com (Legal Evening News), the carrier stayed at Dalian, Liaodong Province, for six days and left for sea again on June 7 for its eighth sea test. It is expected to stay on the sea for 13 days.
Such frequent sea tests sufficiently prove that the aircraft is making final preparations for being commissioned, and that sea tests have become a common operation of the carrier. The interval between two tests is so short that it shows that the scientific and technological research and training have been going smoothly.
Since last August, China’s aircraft carrier has undergone eight tests. The recent test began 6 days after the aircraft carrier came back to port on June 1, after the seventh test which lasted ten days. Since April 20, the carrier has undergone four ten-day tests in a row.
Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said at a press conference on May 31 that since last August, the carrier has undergone many sea tests and there is a follow-up plan to carry out a series of scientific research tests. That is both normal and necessary.
Related Articles
- Test flights of J-15 fighter on China’s first aircraft carrier (chinadailymail.com)
- Taiwan to deploy additional ‘carrier killers’ (chinadailymail.com)
- Beijing will build two more aircraft carriers, Taiwan intelligence (chinadailymail.com)
- Taiwan keeping eye on sea trials of China’s first aircraft carrier (wantchinatimes.com)
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