CV-17 Shandong (002 carrier) Thread I ...News, Views and operations

by78 said:

Extremely grainy update.

Sailors lining up on flight deck.

Can't make out the characters. Not sure if they are relevant.

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So the question is: is this already the true commissioning ceremony or just a rehearsal?

longmarch said:

About the J-15 serial number change: what made you think that's just serial number change rather than a new batch?

What's the next carrier based fighter jet, plus H-20, that's the biggest mysteries of PLA weapon program to me.

PLA's traditional doctrine is to let "people waiting for equipment", not ”equipment waiting for people". Now we see ships moving fast, but no news about the airplane. This indicates some kind of trouble to me. I think they are stuck on whether continue with J-15, or fully invest in the next gen; and for next gen, is it going to be based on J-20 or J-31.

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They have enough money to build J-15s to operate on CV-16 & CV-17 while also working to bring the J--31 or whatever carrier-based jet into service.

At this point, counting J-15 serial numbers is just unhealthy speculation of the overall ambitions of PLAN and it's air wing. We just have to wait like every other project in development and the answers will trickle out.

by78 said:

Can't make out the characters. Not sure if they are relevant.

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Rough translation from cjdby - 'Turn the people's navy into world class navy'

Deino said:

So the question is: is this already the true commissioning ceremony or just a rehearsal?

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'Rehearsel for 6 december'- also from cjdby.

Bhurki said:

Rough translation from cjdby - 'Turn the people's navy into world class navy'

'Rehearsel for 6 december'- also from cjdby.
View attachment 55589

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Looks like it is all set to go. What it waits probably is only a historic date to commemorate something.

It is China's first home-made carrier. This is a significant event in Chinese history. Even though many Chinese military enthusiasts are already tepid to it and fix their eyes on the unfinished 003, the gov't may think differently. The gov't may want to use this event to remind Chinese people of something meaningful.

There are several historic dates in every December and any of them can be the particular date to commission it.
December 9th, the December 9th Movement Commemoration Day. (“一二·九”运动纪念日)
December 12th, Double-Twelve Day, the Xi'an Event Commemoration Day. (西安事变纪念日)
December 13th, the Nanjing Massacre Commemoration Day. (南京大屠杀纪念日)
December 20th, The Commemoration Day for Macau Handover to China. (澳门回归纪念日)
December 26th, Mao ze-dong's birthday. (毛泽东诞辰纪念日)

I think December 26th is the most likely date. December 20th is the second likely date. December 9th is the third likely date.

Just4Fun said:

What it waits probably is only a historic date to commemorate something.

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Handovers are usually not on a historic date to commemorate something.

Rehearsal date gives you an expectation that the official ceremony date is close by, usually within a week or two weeks at the most. So let's keep an eye on this weekend or next week.

Intrepid said:

Handovers are usually not on a historic date to commemorate something.

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I would say they celebrate Santa Clause

Kuznetsov, 001 and 001a
(Note: 001 looksa bit wider due to image capture at a high off nadir angle by the satellite.)

So come on and show us finally your number and name! (Image via /Twitter and JSCh/PDF

Finally a clearer image of the Type 002 aircraft carrier, that is just being prepared for hand over to the #PLAN and commissioning into service at Hainan.
And indeed, the number seems to be '17'!

(Image via 92军迷/)