13 photos of Type 001A, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier

China's second aircraft carrier ' and first domestically built carrier ' completed its initial sea trial last week.The carrier, referred to as Type 001A,left its port in the northeastern city of Dalian on May 13 and returned on May 18 after completing all of its assigned tasks.China launched Type 001A in April 2017, five years after commissioning its first carrier, theLiaoning,and expects to enter it into service later this year.Beijing has grand ambitions for a world-class military, and has steadily increased its defense budget over the last two decades. It reportedly might soon test its newType 055 destroyer, and is even building a third carrier, 002, that may be nuclear powered.Here's what we know about Type 001A:SEE ALSO:Step aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's aircraft carrier that's considered one of the worst in the worldLaunched in April 2017, and expected to be commissioned in 2018, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, Type 001A, will likely be named Shandong.Source: CSISIt's about 1,033 feet long, has a beam of about 246 feet, and a displacement of 66,000 to 70,000 tons.Source: CSISIt's powered by eight conventional steam turbines with diesel engines, and has an expected cruising speed of about 36 mph.The US Navy's newest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, on the other hand, is nuclear-powered and has a displacement of 100,000 tons.Source: CSIS, The National InterestSee the rest of the story at Business Insider
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