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Details of new Chinese aircraft carrier revealed in sea trial footage aired on state TV

  • Report shows operators standing on the bridge, technicians at control panels and the ski-jump flight deck without any aircraft on board
  • Home-grown warship is not expected to join fleet review marking PLA Navy’s 70th anniversary on Tuesday

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Technicians are seen at the control panels of China’s new aircraft carrier in footage from its recent sea trial. Photo: Handout

China’s state broadcaster has aired footage of the country’s new aircraft carrier, revealing details for the first time of the home-grown warship’s interior.

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While the new aircraft carrier is not expected to take part in a fleet review marking the PLA Navy’s 70th anniversary on Tuesday, a CCTV report has offered a rare glimpse of the vessel in footage taken during its most recent sea trial.

The naval parade will include 32 Chinese warships – including its first and only operational aircraft carrier the Liaoning – and 20 foreign vessels from 10 countries, deputy naval commander Qiu Yanpeng said on Saturday.

The new warship, the Type 001A, is the first Chinese-built aircraft carrier. Its design is based on the Liaoning, an unfinished Soviet Kutznetsov-class vessel Beijing bought from Ukraine in 1998 and retrofitted.
The report revealed details of the warship for the first time. Photo: Handout
The report revealed details of the warship for the first time. Photo: Handout
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In the 23 seconds of footage shown in the report, several operators are seen standing on the bridge, while a team of technicians sit at the control panels.

The warship is also seen moving at high speed, and it shows the bridge and ski-jump flight deck without any aircraft on board.

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