BEIJING, APR 26, (DNA) – The first aircraft carrier designed and built in China was launched Wednesday amid streamers and champagne. The as-yet unnamed vessel is China’s second aircraft carrier. Early on Wednesday morning it was towed from Dalian Shipyard, Liaoning, to a nearby wharf, China’s Ministry of National Defense said.
China first announced the construction of its new carrier in late December 2015. State said it would be “independently designed in China.”
News of the launch comes as tensions mount over North Korea, China’s unruly neighbor and ally. However, the carrier isn’t expected to enter service until 2020.
Construction began in November 2013, and just over three years later the main hull has been completed, as well as a number of the vessel’s primary systems, including power supply.=DNA
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