A few days ago, POP3 re-released an article about that got deleted when the forum he posted at got shut down.
In 1992, Ukraine offered to sell the ex-Varyag for US$20 million. The PLAN then set up a meeting with officials from various state-owned industrial giants to evaluate whether the Varyag was a worthy purchase. At the same time, China was undergoing aircraft carrier research as part of Project 891. Both the meeting and the project reached the same conclusion; China needed a CATOBAR carrier equipped with fixed-wing AEW&C aircraft, not a ski-ramp carrier with only helicopter-borne AEW&C. Thus, the PLAN decided not to purchase the Varyag.
A short while later, the PLAN got hold of rumours that the ROC was planning to procure the Varyag. Hindsight would reveal that they only wanted to buy it so that the PLAN couldn't, but to the PRC at the time, there was a real risk of DPP schmucks turning the Varyag into a functional carrier which would make a forced reunification even more difficult. Thus, the central government decided to purchase the Varyag.
After a bunch of BS getting it through the Bosphorus, the ex-Varyag arrived in China in 2002. In September 2003, the PLAN and CSIC officials conducted a condition evaluation of the ex-Varyag hull and found that it was in very good shape. The rust layer was very thin and, under microscopic and elemental analysis, the underlying sheet metal was verified to be near brand-new. There was going to be no issue getting another 40-50 years of service from the hull.
The propulsion system was almost complete with some pipes and ducts unfinished. The electrical system was a mess, mostly due to looting of the cables during its years of neglect. Some of the aviation facilities such as aircraft elevators and turntable were installed. No combat systems were installed. Evidence of man-made damage were apparent around the vessel but these were not coordinated sabotage. No traces of explosive damage was found. All in all, considering the various bits of damage suffered over the years, the vessel was 40% complete; suitable for resumption of work to completion.
On September 14, 2003, the Chinese president toured the ex-Varyag and the fate of the ship was decided. From September to October, the PLAN and various institutes opened a series of discussions on aircraft carrier development and drafted a proposal for the direction Chinese aircraft carriers will take. In November, the various institutes compiled an official overview report on Chinese aircraft carrier development and submitted it to the General Armaments Department and COSTIND. In June 2004, the General Staff Department, General Armaments Department, and COSTIND submitted a report on designing Chinese aircraft carriers to the State Council and CMC. This was approved in August, and on August 13, the Chinese aircraft carrier project was officially commissioned. Thus, the project was named Project 048 for 2004 - 8 (August). Work on the Liaoning began in October 2004.
The first task was to draw up overall plans for the ship. China did NOT receive the blueprints for the Varyag. This task posed considerable difficulty as China had never drawn up such a large naval vessel. The old Project 707 and 891 never progressed to a stage where detailed plans were drawn up. As part of drawing the plans, the PLAN analysed the way in which they will employ the Liaoning. The plans were then drawn to facilitate this method of use. The project plans were drawn up in little over a year and the technical plans were completed after three years. From October 2004 to the day Liaoning was commissioned, it took China 8 years. While many assume that resuming construction of a ship is a walk in the park compared to designing and building one from the ground-up, the sheer differences between Soviet and Chinese doctrines for carriers mean that whatever wasn't completed was altered from the original design. This made the Liaoning project barely easier, if at all, than designing a new ship.
In 1992, Ukraine offered to sell the ex-Varyag for US$20 million. The PLAN then set up a meeting with officials from various state-owned industrial giants to evaluate whether the Varyag was a worthy purchase. At the same time, China was undergoing aircraft carrier research as part of Project 891. Both the meeting and the project reached the same conclusion; China needed a CATOBAR carrier equipped with fixed-wing AEW&C aircraft, not a ski-ramp carrier with only helicopter-borne AEW&C. Thus, the PLAN decided not to purchase the Varyag.
A short while later, the PLAN got hold of rumours that the ROC was planning to procure the Varyag. Hindsight would reveal that they only wanted to buy it so that the PLAN couldn't, but to the PRC at the time, there was a real risk of DPP schmucks turning the Varyag into a functional carrier which would make a forced reunification even more difficult. Thus, the central government decided to purchase the Varyag.
After a bunch of BS getting it through the Bosphorus, the ex-Varyag arrived in China in 2002. In September 2003, the PLAN and CSIC officials conducted a condition evaluation of the ex-Varyag hull and found that it was in very good shape. The rust layer was very thin and, under microscopic and elemental analysis, the underlying sheet metal was verified to be near brand-new. There was going to be no issue getting another 40-50 years of service from the hull.
The propulsion system was almost complete with some pipes and ducts unfinished. The electrical system was a mess, mostly due to looting of the cables during its years of neglect. Some of the aviation facilities such as aircraft elevators and turntable were installed. No combat systems were installed. Evidence of man-made damage were apparent around the vessel but these were not coordinated sabotage. No traces of explosive damage was found. All in all, considering the various bits of damage suffered over the years, the vessel was 40% complete; suitable for resumption of work to completion.
On September 14, 2003, the Chinese president toured the ex-Varyag and the fate of the ship was decided. From September to October, the PLAN and various institutes opened a series of discussions on aircraft carrier development and drafted a proposal for the direction Chinese aircraft carriers will take. In November, the various institutes compiled an official overview report on Chinese aircraft carrier development and submitted it to the General Armaments Department and COSTIND. In June 2004, the General Staff Department, General Armaments Department, and COSTIND submitted a report on designing Chinese aircraft carriers to the State Council and CMC. This was approved in August, and on August 13, the Chinese aircraft carrier project was officially commissioned. Thus, the project was named Project 048 for 2004 - 8 (August). Work on the Liaoning began in October 2004.
The first task was to draw up overall plans for the ship. China did NOT receive the blueprints for the Varyag. This task posed considerable difficulty as China had never drawn up such a large naval vessel. The old Project 707 and 891 never progressed to a stage where detailed plans were drawn up. As part of drawing the plans, the PLAN analysed the way in which they will employ the Liaoning. The plans were then drawn to facilitate this method of use. The project plans were drawn up in little over a year and the technical plans were completed after three years. From October 2004 to the day Liaoning was commissioned, it took China 8 years. While many assume that resuming construction of a ship is a walk in the park compared to designing and building one from the ground-up, the sheer differences between Soviet and Chinese doctrines for carriers mean that whatever wasn't completed was altered from the original design. This made the Liaoning project barely easier, if at all, than designing a new ship.
