China’s new aircraft carrier 001A

China’s second (and first indigenous) aircraft carrier, which is still unnamed but referred to as 001A is likely to begin preliminary sea trials in summer 2018 even as there are plans to design and construct much larger nuclear-powered carriers.

China’s first carrier, Liaoning, bought from the Ukrainians has been used for operational training and has a 14 degree ski ramp, and embarks 24 fighters, while 001A will embark 35 aircraft with a lower (12 degrees slope ramp). The two ships are dimensionally very similar, with the newer ship some 30 feet longer than the original. Both weigh about the same, or 55,000 to 60,000 tons. According to intelligence reports, the Chinese have a long-term plan for six carrier strike groups, with at least two of them to be nuclear-powered.