The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, is seen during a port call to Hong Kong. Photo: Xinhua
Asia Times: Refurbished Chinese carrier is not combat-ready, experts say
After seven years of rebuilding, the Liaoning is more like a training carrier than a genuine airbase in the sea, given its many limitations
The Liaoning, Beijing’s first aircraft carrier, is a refurbished second-hand vessel. But, despite its inauguration in 2012, it appears the vessel’s genuine war-readiness is still in doubt.
Party mouthpieces have all refrained from using the carrier’s former name, Varyag – no surprise, given that the Liaoning was a rusty, semi-scrap hull from Ukraine before it was given a new lease of life (and renamed after the northeastern province where the ship underwent a seven-year refit).
The carrier has already become a new tool for Beijing to whip up patriotic fervour among the masses, as seen by the vessel’s visit to Hong Kong in July, which was part of the military fanfare to mark the 20th anniversary of the territory’s handover.
But that same visit also enabled observers to have a rare up-close look at the Chinese carrier.
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WNU Editor: The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning was always about PR and being a training vessel. It is the next aircraft carriers that China will deploy where everyone's attention should be focused on.
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