[Jeff Head]

Most people never bought the story that the Chinese bought this relatively new carrier hull from Ukraine to make it into a floating Casino...particularly when it was revealed that the "company" that bought it had extremely close ties to the Chinese Military (surprize), and then especially after the purchase and towing to China when that "company" went out of business.

Now, as work continues and the vessel takes on more and more vistage of a ship being worked on and potentially prepared for service, that is all the more obvious.

China is embarked on one of the largest naval military buildups in history. Given the miriad of new vessels they are building, including all of the vessels necessary to comprise a Carrier Battle Group, except the carrier, an operational Chinese carrier group in the China Sea will pose a major upset in the balance of power.

For much more information on the Chinese Naval buildup, see:

[Jeff Head]

For those following the continued PLAN (Red Chinese Navy) buildup...this latest from Jane's on the carrier.

[warchild9]

It just seems odd to me that a regime which is basing a new blue water fleet on the submarine, and concentrating on developing and amassing anti-carrier weapons, would bother with an expensive-and in their view, eventually worthless-weapons system like an aircraft carrier.

[BulletBobCo]

I acquired this photo at great risk.

[kcar]

Casino ship or not, it still seems like there's alot of gambling involved.

[coconutt2000]

Communist China has Imperialistic ambitions...

[Tiger Smack]

big whoop.......buying a aircraft carrier dont mean squat until you have experience in sea warfare. Which China DOESNT.

[konaice]

epairing a badly damaged ex-Russian

I missed something here... How did it get damaged?

[Born to Conserve]

That aircraft carrier will be used to put Chinese aircraft in the Caribbean and central America. It is not tactically significant, but it does have strategic value. There will be occasions where the Chinese will use their aircraft to annoy and distract our military operations.

[mylife]

Still, China's ultimate intentions for the Varyag remain unclear.

Seems plain as day to me

[Lx]

Bump to send to Chinese friend.

[Servant of the 9]

If you look at the bow, it appears to be a jump jet carrier rather than a full sized fleet carrier.

SO9

[MikefromOhio]

Don't tell the ChiComs, but we would sink their little boat without even seeing it....

[Eastbound]

The UN refused to classify this ship as a floating casino after becoming suspicious when the inspecting team pulled one of the slot machine handles and it launched three missiles. ;>

[sure_fine]

let them build two, two carriers, two bombs, they are out alot of money

[Lessismore]

It would be relatively inexpensive to dress it up properly, add a number of escort ships, and then cruise it around the world making port calls everywhere.

The diplomatic PR value would far outweigh the cost.

It doesn't actually have to work as a combat platform to sway the easily impressed.

[NCC-1701]

That's going to make one heck of an artificial reef after the U S Navy gets through with it.

[mercy]

Let em! We have seven.

And when THEY have seven carriers we'll show em the black triangles that hover silently and defy gravity.

[Mad Mammoth]

A few Exocet missiles and the mighty carrier YingYang or whatever they're going to call it goes down to Dae-Vee-Joes locker.

[BigCinBigD]

It will make a nice reef.

[Kuehn12]

If nothing else the Varyag with be used for training purposes. I don't think the Chinese would be stupid enough to deploy it. It maybe the next step in understanding of carrier operations since they are new to the game. How many of their pilots have ever landed on a carrier at sea? Do they have know carrier safety procedures, such fire suppression? I can imagine their first few attempts at landing on carrier at sea will be very interesting. I am suggesting it will be a long time before you see sizable numbers of Chinese Carriers on the high seas.