This article was first published in French language by East Pendulum
China’s new aircraft carrier (known as “Type 002”) set sails from the port of Dalian on Aug. 1st for its seventh set of sea trials. It returned August 23, 2019 after its longest test campaign to date which lasted 22 days.
This 2nd aircraft carrier for the PLAN, designed by the engineers of the 701 Institute of the CSIC group on the basis of Project 1134.5 Varyag (known as Liaoning today and in service with the PLAN), is set to be commissioned, as expected, before the end of the year. East Pendulum predicted this back in 2016 when the vessel was still in dry dock.
In addition to the Chinese Navy receiving its 2nd aircraft carrier, we are likely to see by December 2019 the launch of the 1st Type 075 LHD currently under construction at Hudong Shipyard. -Zhonghua in Shanghai, and by the possible keel laying of the 3rd aircraft carrier at Jiangnan Changxing shipyard, also located in Shanghai.
While state media have not disclosed any details on the latest sea trials of “Type 002” (whose name and hull number are still unknown) it is our understanding that it took place in the Yellow Sea, in a maritime area measuring 3,387 km² and bounded by a perimeter of 233 km.
The tests seem to have been organized in two stages, first from August 1st to 4th which is announced by the LN-0148 maritime safety notification (辽 航 警 0148), then from August 6th to 22nd by another LN-0159 notification for the exact same area. Civil or unauthorized ships are advised not to enter the perimeter for “military maneuvers”.
辽 航 警 0148
黄海 北部, 8 月 1 日 1200 时 至 4 日 1000 时, 在
1. 38 ° 45’N 122 ° 23’E
2. 38 ° 45’N 123 ° 05’E
3. 38 ° 15’N 123 ° 05’E
4. 38 ° 15’N 122 ° 23’E
诸 点 连线 范围 内 执行 军事 任务. 禁止 驶入.
辽 航 警 0159
黄海 北部, 8 月 6 日 1200 时 至 22 日 1800 时, 在
1. 38 ° 45’N 122 ° 23’E
2. 38 ° 45’N 123 ° 05’E
3. 38 ° 15’N 123 ° 05’E
4. 38 ° 15’N 122 ° 23’E
诸 点 连线 范围 内 执行 军事 任务. 禁止 驶入.
Although the Chinese navy has not yet received its new aircraft carrier, and therefore the data are not yet complete, the comparison of sea trial times initiated by the aircraft carrier Liaoning and its quasi-sister-ship gives provides us with some interesting findings.
For example, we can see that it was not until the 9th set of trials that Liaoning made its longest 25-day trial, while the “Type 002” did it on its 7th outing.
The new Chinese aircraft carrier also made shorter outings, averaging less than 9 days on its first 6 outings, before reaching its long test run, compared with more than 10 days on average for Liaoning’s 8 first outings.
In short, the outings of the “Type 002” are shorter, more spaced out, but also less numerous, at least according to the figures to date. This could therefore suggest an evolution of the test program as well as the military standards associated with the aircraft carriers in the Chinese Navy but also in the naval industry, made possible probably by the feedback from Liaoning.
It should be noted that satellite images showed that the new Chinese aircraft carrier was making rounds at sea. If we do not know the date and the exact location of these satellite images, some media used the term “Williamson turn” to qualify these maneuvers.
According to a former technical officer of the Chinese Navy, however, these circles seen by commercial satellites are simply part of the nominal tests of all ships, military or civilian. Vessels have to be tested at 3 different speed and 2 different rudder angles per side (both port and starboard). That’s a total of 12 individual tests for ships conducting their trials. According to the source, the circles observed have little to do with the Williamson turn.
| Main events | Liaoning | Type 002 | Type 003 |
| Concept phase | Ended in 2007 | 2012 | |
| Basic design | 2015 | ||
| Detailed design | Ended June 2008 | ||
| Construction contract | March 2008 | ||
| Industrial process | Ended 2009 | ||
| 1st steel cut | 28/08/2013 | 2017 | |
| Block fabrication | 01/2014 | 2017 | |
| Keel laying | 10/03/2015 | 2019 | |
| Outfitting | Ended late 2009 | ||
| Launch | 26/04/2017 | 2020 (Est.) | |
| Dock trials | Started 2010 | ||
| Sea trials | August 2011 | 13/05/2018 | |
| Commissioning | September 2012 | 2019 (Est.) | 2022 (Est.) |
