China’s Defence Ministry Releases First Images of New Aircraft Carrier Shandong

The Chinese Ministry of Defense has published first pictures of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s newly commissioned aircraft carrier the Shandong, which entered service on December 17th 2019 following over a year and a half of sea trials. The warship was photographed in Sanya’s naval port in Hainan province, and represents the first aircraft carrier to be laid down and fully assembled in China. The warship displaces approximately 70,000 tons, and is loosely based on the Soviet Kuznetsov Class design with improvements including more modern construction materials, a more powerful and reliable propulsion system, an active electronically scanned array radar, a new more efficient command bridge structure and a widened deck among other changes. The Shandong is the second aircraft carrier ever to enter Chinese service, with seven expected to be either in service or under sea trial by 2025.

China’s sole previously serving carrier, the Liaoning, was acquired from Ukraine as a partially competed hull and completed in Chinese shipyards - with the purchase also including technology transfers from the Soviet carrier program which accelerated the PLA Navy’s own program. The first Chinese carrier, the Liaoning, entered service in 2012, and in April 2019 completed refurbishment to achieve full operational status - having previously deployed only as a training carrier. Among other improvements over the Liaoning, the Shandong is expected to deploy newer and more capable variants of the J-15 Flying Shark air superiority fighter, including specialised electronic warfare variants and enhanced ‘4++ generation’ variants integrating new technologies such as high composite airframes and AESA radars.