PLAN Photos & Videos

Awesome photo!

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 21, 2016) The People's Liberation Army (Navy) multirole frigate Hengshui (572) fires its main gun during a gunnery exercise during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Chinese navy photo by Zeng Xingjian)

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Outstanding pics of Chinese carriers...note the plural!

As we discussed early in the year, the number of J-15s appearing on the Liaoning has steadily increased. We see eight here and there may well have been more. I would not doubt that at some point we will see twelve...perhaps this year.



And 001A is coming along nicely. The latest pic is showing the flight deck really coming along, with that sponson in place and with the Ski-Jump looking like it may soon be lifted onto the bow.





I still doubt that there will be an 001A launch this year. They have a lot of work going on internally below the flight deck, and those holes in the flight deck are indicative of this.

They have the Ski-Jump to lift, and then the entire island to life and integrate.

Even once that is done structurally, there is just a ton of internal wiring, control, and space work that has to be accomplished before they will launch.

But that is fine...they are making very good progress.

I just spent some time looking at old naval threads in this forum..and I gotta say the members that are still around have come along way and the PLAN is probably the second to fifth most powerful navy on this planet. My my have times changed in the last 11 years!

The PLAN has come from dreams to reality.

Missiles are launched during a drill in the East China Sea, Aug 1, 2016. The Chinese navy started a drill, which involved firing dozens of missiles and torpedoes, in the East China Sea Monday. The drill involved naval aviation forces, including submarines, ships and coastguard troops. (Xinhua/Wu Dengfeng)

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New favorite pics of J-15s on deck on the Liaoning:

...more:

Popeye, as the last two posts of pics show, and as you have been asking for for some years...the PLAN is finally showing some pretty significant and busy activity aboard their carrier.

I thought you might like those pics.

Here's are all four of the PLAN's Type 071 LPDs...all commissioned:

998 Kunlun Shan



999 Jinggang Shan



989 Changbai Shan



988 Yimeng Shan



Good looking, and very capable LPDs.

...and another picture of each:

998 Kunlun Shan



999 Jinggang Shan



989 Changbai Shan



988 Yimeng Shan

Gotta love it.

Ski-jump lifted onto 001A!

Hey Jim...I think that's an aircraft carrier! LOL!

QINGDAO, China (Aug. 12, 2016) Cmdr. Justin Harts, commanding officer aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65), talks with a People's Liberation Army (Navy) North Sea Fleet sailors during a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea exercise. Benfold is currently underway in the the Western Pacific in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/Released)

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QINGDAO, China (Aug. 12, 2016) A Sailor from the People's Liberation Army (Navy) North Sea Fleet assists the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) during a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/Released)

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