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Here's some specs on this bad boy from NPR:
Beijing launched a new-generation aircraft carrier Friday, the first such ship to be both designed and built in China, in a milestone as it seeks to extend the range and power of its navy.
The Type 003 carrier christened Fujian left its drydock at a shipyard outside Shanghai in the morning and tied up at a nearby pier, state media reports said.
That's right. China now has the capacity to totally design and build their own aircraft carriers without outside countries.
Equipped with the latest weaponry and aircraft-launch technology, the Type 003 ship's capabilities are thought to rival those of Western carriers, as Beijing seeks to turn its navy, already the world's largest, into a multi-carrier force.
I remember some guy warning the U.S. about its aging navy and the need to invest quickly in ships to keep China from controlling the oceans over the next century, but he was too orange so we sent him away.
It's okay though! Diversity is our strength.
And Pride is back in the White House!
Meanwhile, the Fujian can carry 26 jets, 22 helicopters, 54 surface-to-air missiles, an array of 30mm guns, has a crew of 2,500, and weighs 65,000 tons with a full load.
In just a matter of years, China has gone from repurposing an old Soviet carrier to this next-gen beast built entirely by their own hands. At the same time, they are building artificial islands all over the place to extend their territory around the South China Sea.
The U.S. Navy has sailed warships past artificial islands China has built in the sea that are equipped with airstrips and other military facilities. China insists its territory extends to those islands, while the U.S. Navy says it conducts the missions there to ensure the free flow of international trade.
Because I've read a history book, I have a bad feeling about this.
Despite all the hullaballoo about Putin and right-wing grandmas these days from the White House, there's only one nation on the planet that poses an actual threat to the stability of the 21st century.
China's People Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, has been modernizing for more than a decade to become more of a "blue water" force — one capable of operating globally rather than being restricted to remaining closer to the Chinese mainland.
Whoever controls the oceans controls trade. Whoever controls trade controls the world!
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