China acquired from Ukraine in 1998 the unfinished aircraft carrier of the former Soviet Navy “Varyag” and in 2002, finally, received it. After significant conversion at a shipyard in the city of Dalian in the north of China, the ship was put into operation in September 2012 and renamed Liaoning in honor of the northeastern province. The main task of the ship is to serve as a training platform for the Chinese Navy to gain experience in operating a modern aircraft carrier, as well as to develop and improve technologies that will be used in the design and construction of ships of this class.
Decay product
Previously, the carrier Liaoning was called the heavy aircraft carrier cruiser Riga. This was the second ship of project 1143.5 (class "Admiral Kuznetsov") of the Navy of the USSR. 67 A 500-ton vessel was laid down at the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant in Nikolaev, Ukraine, on December 6, 1985, and launched on December 4, 88. Renamed Varyag in July 1990. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, ownership of it was transferred to Ukraine. Due to lack of funding, construction was stopped in 1992. By that time, 70% of the aircraft carrier was built. Structurally, the ship was completed, but there was no armament, electronics and chassis.
China first showed interest in buying the Varyag in 1992. Officials of China examined the ship, stationed on the pier of the Nikolaev shipyard, but the negotiations were fruitless due to a dispute over the price. As a result, the unfinished Varyag remained in the dock unattended for 6 years. In the late 1990s, the ship was auctioned and bought by a Chinese company from Macau for $ 20 million to convert into a floating casino and amusement park. The contract with Ukraine forbade the buyer to use the ship for military purposes. Before the sale, all military airborne equipment was dismantled.
From a floating casino to the flagship of the Chinese Navy
In 1999, 11 years after launching, the Varyag finally left the dock, led by several powerful tugboats to the Far East. However, the vessel was refused permission to go through the Bosphorus by the Turkish government on the grounds that the ship was de-energized and posed too much risk to other vessels and objects in the channel. "Varangian" was near the strait for three years. After the Chinese government intervened and transferred $ 1 million to Turkey in 2001 as a guarantee, the ship was finally allowed to continue on its way.
On November 4, the Varyag fell into a 10-point storm and broke anchor near the Greek island of Skyros. After many unsuccessful attempts to regain control of the ship, the Greek coast guard helicopter evacuated 7 crew members. After a fall, when trying to attach tow ropes, the sailor of the tugboat Haliva Champion was killed. The ship was again taken under control the same day.
After a hectic journey, the Varangian in March 2002 finally arrived at the Dalian shipyard in northern China and was under heavy guard there. By that time, it had become apparent that the ship would never be turned into an amusement park. Instead, it was transferred to the Chinese Navy for research and restoration. Together with the ship, China received drawings and design documentation. In 2005, the aircraft carrier was moved to the dry dock of the Dalian shipyard and painted gray in the Chinese Navy.
Restoration work was completed at the end of 2006. Then, in April 2009, the ship was moved to another dry dock for installing engines and other heavy equipment. Installation began at the end of 2010. By March 2011, the superstructure on the upper deck was almost completed, painting completed and scaffolding removed.
"Research vessel"
In June 2011, General Chen Bingde, head of the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army, confirmed that China is building an aircraft carrier. This was the first official recognition of the existence of such a project. On July 27, the Ministry of National Defense of China announced that it had refitted the vessel for "research, experimentation, and training purposes." The first four-day sea trials of the ship took place in August, and then the second series of tests began in December, before it was returned to the factory for final revision.
On September 25, 2012, the ship was officially put into operation under the new name Liaoning Aircraft Carrier (CV-16). In November, the Department of Defense confirmed that Chinese J-15 fighters successfully landed on it with takeoff and with an aerofinisher. The PRC press suggests that crew training will continue for 4–5 years until the ship reaches its maximum potential.
Deck Aviation
The flagship of the PRC fleet, the carrier Liaoning, has a short runway equipped with an aerofinish. Takeoff is facilitated by the presence of a nasal springboard at an angle of 14 °. The deck is equipped with brake cables. Two starboard elevators move the aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier is capable of transporting 24 "flying sharks" - Shenyang J-15 carrier-based multi-role fighters, including their double version - the J-15S training fighter. In addition, he transports several types of ship helicopters, including Chinese-made helicopters Changhe Z-18, Z-18J AEW and Z-18F ASW, Harbin Z-9, as well as Ka-31. The total number of aircraft transported is 36 units.
Armament
The Varangian was originally equipped with the Granit anti-ship missile system (SS-N-9 Shipwreck). The launcher was dismantled before the sale of the ship to China, and the missile base - during the conversion, to increase the size of the aircraft hangar.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier is equipped with a short-range air defense system, which consists of 4 HQ-10 (FL-3000N) air defense systems, each with an 18-missile launcher similar to the RIM-116 system used by the US Navy. The TY-90, HQ-10 short-range air-to-air missile modification is equipped with a double passive radar, an infrared homing head and has a maximum range of 9000 m. Its improved version is equipped with an independent active infrared head and has a maximum range of 10,000 m.
In addition, the Liaoning aircraft carrier is equipped with two 1030 short-range weapon systems, which are a 10-barrel version of the 730 CIWS type system. To a 10-barrel 30-mm cannon served 2 boxes with 500 ammunition. One store, as a rule, is loaded with armor-piercing detachable cartridges. Empty sleeves are thrown forward from the bottom of the system. The gun is controlled from the outside, with a maximum rate of 3.5-6 thousand rounds / min. Its firing range is limited to 3000 m, but targets are usually hit at a distance of 1000-1500 m.
Communication and target detection systems
The aircraft carrier of the People's Republic of China "Liaoning" is equipped with the following navigation devices:
- Type 382 Eagle S / C radar for detecting air targets (mounted at the top of the mast);
- marine radar;
- fire control radar HQ-10 SAM;
- Type 346 airborne target radar with a set of four active antenna arrays with electronic scanning on the bridge;
- aircraft radar;
- navigation radar;
- communication antenna
- satellite communication antenna.
Power point
The Liaoning aircraft carrier is equipped with a standard power plant, similar to the installation of the Admiral Kuznetsov ship of the Russian Navy. It consists of 8 boilers and four steam turbines of 50,000 liters each. with. each one. The vessel is equipped with four shafts with fixed pitch propellers.
Liaoning Aircraft Carrier: Tartus
In September 2015, there were reports that the flagship of the PRC fleet passed the Suez Canal and was moving to the coast of Syria. An Israeli military intelligence site claimed that the Liaoning aircraft carrier arrived in Tartus, Syria, accompanied by a missile cruiser. Arrival of military aircraft and helicopters was expected by mid-November directly from China via Iran or with the help of Russian transport aircraft based on a ship and a Russian base near Latakia.
A Chinese military expert denied this information. He also assured that the PRC will not support any groups or individuals in Syria, adhering to a fair and objective approach to this issue. In addition, a Syrian military source said that not a single Chinese warship entered the Syrian territorial waters.
South China Sea tensions
Where is the Liaoning aircraft carrier now? The ship is located near the territorial waters of China and serves to demonstrate strength in the region, the tension in which has been growing for decades, as well as to train the crew and naval aviation. After all, soon a second ship of this class will be built, but already exclusively of its own production. A springboard will again be used to launch the aircraft, which although it allows the aircraft to carry more cargo, it cannot be compared with the power of electromagnetic catapults used on almost all aircraft carriers of the US Navy.
With two ships of this class, China will become a member of an elite club - only Italy and India have such a number of active ships. Standing alone is the US Navy with the ten largest warships in the world.