Aircraft carrier Shandong starts 1st maintenance, refurbishment: reports
The Shandong, China’s second aircraft carrier and the first developed domestically, reportedly started its first scheduled maintenance and refurbishment that is expected to enhance the flattop’s usability after more than two years of active service. The procedure could involve the painting of new non- skid coating as well as repairs and upgrades for some subsystems, and the carrier would come back stronger than ever in a few months, observers said on Sunday.
Moored in a berth at Dalian Shipyard in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province where the carrier was constructed, the Shandong was receiving painting of new non- skid coating to its flight deck on Saturday, the 73rd founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army ( PLA) Navy, Hong Kong- based news website wenweipo. com reported on the day.
This is the first scheduled usability enhancement maintenance of the Shandong back at its shipyard since its commissioning into the PLA Navy in December 2019 in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province, and the workers at the shipyard are working extra shifts for the refurbishment, according to the wenweipo. com report.
On March 18, the Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Straits from south to north without aircraft on its flight deck, Reuters reported at the time, citing the island of Taiwan’s defense authority and an anonymous source. Analysts said then that the carrier was likely on its way from its homeport in Sanya to its shipyard in Dalian for a regular maintenance.
The maintenance could also feature the refurbishment, repair and upgrade of some subsystems that tends to wear and tear, like the arresting gear, the power system, pipelines and electronics systems, a military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.
A comprehensive examination to the carrier could be carried out, and upgrades and overhaul could be made to those parts that encountered problems or can be optimized based on the experiences gained over the past two years, he said.
He noted that the Shandong would become more powerful and combat- ready after the refurbishment.