China's first aircraft carrier 'starts sea trials'

[xchrom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14470882

he Chinese navy's first aircraft carrier has begun its sea trials, the state-run Xinhua news agency has said.

It quoted military sources as saying that the refitted former Soviet warship left its shipyard in the north-east and the trial "would not take a long time".

The move is likely to raise fresh concerns over China's rapid military build-up.

Beijing is currently involved in several maritime territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea.

[onehandle]

1. Our future overlords are preparing well. nt

[Erose999]

10. I for one, welcome our Chinese overlords. Hopefully they will bring chicken with black bean sauce.

[arbusto_baboso]

2. Meh. That class of vessel doesn't have the capabilities of US carriers.

Not really even close.

[KeepItReal]

3. Yeah it's mainly for training their fleet in carrier ops

The next gen Chinese carriers under construction are the ones to watch.

It will make life more interesting for the Pacific Fleet, though.

[arbusto_baboso]

4. True. The thing is, if they ever really want to be a serious threat to our carrier fleet...

China will have to undergo a similarly disastrously expensive shipbuilding program. Are they that stupid and nationalistic, is the question. Remains to be seen.

[Lasher]

5. They're working on a couple of diesel carriers.

They won't have a nuclear powered carrier for a decade, if then. This is getting hyped so that we'll think it's a great idea to piss even more money away on our military while we gut our social programs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. There was a small time navy launching dreadnoughts

oh back in 1880... I am positive people in Washington are a tad more concerned than you are.

Of course them are also fielding subs...

[JPZenger]

6. They bought it for only $20 million

They bought it for only $20 million and claimed it was going to be a casino. For 16 months, Turkey refused to let it pass through the straights into the Mediterranean Sea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_aircraft_carrier_Varyag

[jwirr]

7. It is also probably part of their empty builds economic plans to keep

people employed.

[Erose999]

9. If they build carriers the way they build cars....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmpDM8wVrUQ

it probably won't even float.

[Safetykitten]

11. The Bentonville has sea trials.

[KeepItReal]

12. Seriously they should name it the SS Sam Walton's Kids

Eom