Free Republic

China’s first domestically designed and produced aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, has finished its fourth rotation of sea trials and could now be ready for its first combat deployment within months. The South China Morning Post reported the ship could be ready for fleet review by April following 13 days of trials in the Yellow Sea before returning to its home port in Dalian. The ship, which has not yet been named, is actually China’s second carrier. The first, Liaoning, was actually a Soviet hull but had not been completed by the end of the Cold War. China purchased the...

An advanced transport helicopter took off from China’s first home-grown aircraft carrier on Saturday, mainland media reported, another sign that it is being prepared for sea trials. The Changhe Z-18 helicopter took off from the warship in Dalian, Liaoning province then returned and landed five minutes later, state-run Global Times reported. Photographs of the chopper in action have been circulated on Chinese social media. The report came after the Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration announced that the Bohai Strait and an area north of the Yellow Sea would be cordoned off from Friday until May 11 because of military activities. The...