[Jeff Head]

Unless they have something much further along and hidden somewhere else, I cannot see how it could be anything but the Varyag. I believe she will be launched in 2008 or 2009 and be plowing waves in the China Sea in 2010.

TRANSFORMING THE VARYAG INTO AN OPERATIONAL PLAN CARRIER

They will then, IMHO, over the next several years use the Varyag to train and establish doctrine while they start building 2 or 3 of their own indigenous carriers over the nextr 10-12 years thereafter.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Wow! Thanks for posting that link with all the recent pictures of the Varyag! It's really turned into a good looking warship, and I think you are absolutely right about the ChiCom's intentions with it.

Still, I'm not sure how well they will fare with it and the battle group they are obviously trying to build around it, since they have never done this kind of thing before, and to develop successful CONOPS, you have to make mistakes at an operational level. There's no way around it, in my humble opinion.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Interesting the way the "Chinese travel agency" went out of business the same time that the carrier was delivered to China naval shipyard...