PLAN CV-01 Un-named

The Chinese purchased the former Soviet carrier, Varyag, from the Ukraine in 1998 for about $20 million dollars (US). The Varyag was the newer, sister ship to the Russian Kuznetsov. But the Ukraine government had never finished the carrier after the fall of the Soviet Union and had tried to sell it to various concerns. As a result, the carrier fell into a state of disrepair. The Chinese bought the carrier and indicated that the holding company that had purchased it planned to tow it to China and make it a floating casino.

The Chinese could not get permission from the government of Turkey to pass threough the Sraits of Istanbul until 2001, at which time the Varyag was towed to China, a cruise that the big ship, now without rudders or engines, made in surprisingly good condition passing through the Mediteranean, the Suez Canal, by the Cape of Good Hope headland, across the Indian Ocean, through the Straits of Malacca, into the China Sea and finally to Dalian, China in mid 2002. It was ultimately docked at the Naval Shipyards in Dalian where it has been under tight security ever since. The holding company, which had ties to the PLAN, has now gone out of business.

The Varyag was undergoing significant work, although until 2010, the Chinese government did not indicate to what end. Nonetheless, the carrier, after well over two years at the shipyards, was painted in the offical PLAN combatant colors, causing a stir of speculation as to what work may have been accomplished internal to the ship over the first 2-3 years and what her future holds. In 2010 the Chinese indicated that they would make her operational where she would serve to gain experience in carrier operations for the PLAN while the Chinese build their own indegenous carriers. The chinese have indicated that they intend to build several more large carriers by 2020 and that the first two are under construction in Shanghai as of 2011.

By summer 2011, the carrier had progressed to the point of having its sensors and close in weapons systems completely installed. By August of 2011, with initial dock side testing of lighting and engines complete, with her deck painted, and an initial helo landing performed on deck, she appeared ready to put to sea for her initial sea trials. She set sail for those sea trials on the morning of August 9, 2011. She returned to port on August 14, 2011, ending the historic event of China's first aircraft carrier putting to sea under her own power. On returning from trials, her signal flags indicated her pennant number would be "01" (though not yet painted on the vessel). This is different from most specualtion, fueld by Chinese government claims that she would be a research and training vessel, that felt she would be christened "83", the next number in line for PLAN training vessels. "01" would make her more akin to the original USS Langley (which was the US "1" carrier...and the US Navy's 1st carrier in the 1920s...and would identify her as the combat vessel most western analysts feel she will ultimately become.

The carrier embarked on her second set of sea trials on November 29, 2011 and completed them on December 11, 2011...a two week trial this time, during which time she was caught by a US commercial satellite as she was making what looks to be either 2/3rds or standard speed. After returning, dockside in early January 2012, workers were observed installing what appears to be the finishing touches of her arresting lines and specualtion is that on her next trials she may well begin initial landing and take off tests, albeit if this will initially include the new J-15 strike fighters, or some other training type aircraft are yet to be detemrined.

To serve in her airwing, the PLAN has developed a navalized version of the indegenous J-11B aircraft, called the J-15, which is a Chinese built version of the SU-33. The new Navalized version is modernized and upgraded over the Russian SU-33. It has, of course, the heavier landing gear, tailhook, folding wings, and other characteristics necessary for air operations aboard the carrier, but also appears to have AESA radar, newer avionics and controls, and potentially more range than the counterpart.

In addition, the Chinese have been engaged over the last ten years in one of the most ambitious modern naval shipbuilding programs since World War II. Although they are retiring some older vessels, the shear rapidity with which they are replacing them with very efficient modern combatants is significant. These new combatants include all of the necessary vessels to create and field a major carrier battle gropup of their own. This includes a new class of AEGIS-like guided missile destoyers, the Type 052C, Lanzhou class, DDG, and a very modern, mutli-role guided missile frigate, the Type 054A, Jiangkai II Class FFG, as well as new nuclear attack submarines.

If made operational, with a wing of indegenous J-15 aircraft, and/or carrier modified J-10 aircraft, coupled with Z-8 or Ka-31 AEW helicopters and Ka-27 ASW helos, the Varyag could represent a significant shift in the balance of naval power in the Western Pacific.