Exactly...and the Russians have been shopping that type of thing around. The
Indians are actually having the Russians refit the Admrial Gorschkov itself to a ski-jump carrier for them to be completed in the 2010 time frame as well.
But I believe it is clear at this point, short of the Chinese hiding a massive carrier construction project someplace (very doubrtful), that the 1st Chinese carrier will be the Varyag.
My guess is that it will be 2014 or later before the 1st indigenous Chinese carrier comes out...and then we may see two built at once. The PLAN has been doing a lot of that in the last few years, building two at a time for a new class.
Jeff, it seems to me that the Chinese Navy could speed up the learning curve for Varyag deployment by working a deal with Moscow. They could send Chinese swabbies and air wingers to help man the Kuznetsov and learn operational techniques by doing the real thing instead of simulating them. After all, since they are using a Russian ship and since they are using Russian aircraft then why not train with the Russians?
It's not like they can't afford it-----$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$