Details of China's New Aircraft Carrier Revealed

Chinese officials have confirmed the construction of a new aircraft carrier for the nation’s navy, saying it’s going to be specifically designed for Chinese needs and will be significantly different to China’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning.

China Daily reports that the new aircraft carrier will have a conventional power plant (not nuclear) and will be designed to accommodate the domestically-developed J-15 fighter jets.

China's Ministry of Defense says the new design is a development based on experience with Liaoning, a former Soviet-designed aircraft carrier purchased from the Ukraine in 2012.

Cao Weidong from the Chinese Navy's Academic Research Institute told China Daily that the vessel will have a newly-designed hull built from a special steel developed in China. It is also anticipated to have a ski-jump ramp for jet take-off rather than the catapult system used on U.S. carriers. Weapons will include China's latest phased array radar, short-range anti-aircraft missiles and quick-firing cannons.

Chinese naval experts cite tensions in the South China Sea have as an issue that makes a second aircraft carrier important. The navy is also adding to its fleet of frigates, destroyers and nuclear submarines. 

However, BBC reports that China does not yet have a fleet of aircraft or pilots ready for carrier operations. Rather, the Liaoning is being used to prepare them, a task that experts say will probably take several years.

The new 50,000-tonne aircraft carrier is being built in the port of Dalian. It is not yet known when the vessel will enter service.