LIMITATIONS:Although the new 001A carrier has superior equipment to the ‘Liaoning,’ it lacks catapult launchers, limiting it to anti-air duty within the group
Taipei Times
Date: Apr 28, 2017
By: Aaron Tu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The launch of China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier on Wednesday has
Type 001A, China’s second aircraft carrier, is seen during a launch ceremony at a shipyard in Dalian, China, on Wednesday. China has launched its first domestically designed and built aircraft carrier, state media said, as the country seeks to transform its navy into a force capable of projecting power onto the high seas. Photo: AFP
prompted yet another flurry of review of viable Taiwanese counters, with the Ministry of National Defense (MND), legislators and academics all agreeing that missile range development and submarines should be sufficient to counter latent threats posed by the 001A carrier.
The 001A, the official name of which is yet unknown, shows that Beijing’s efforts to build a blue water navy are an unstoppable trend, and that China seeks to protect its national interests in the South China Sea, officials said on Wednesday.
However, MND officials said that, should it prove necessary, the Taiwanese navy is capable of ensuring the safety of the nation through the “layered defense” provided by Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and the submarine fleet. [FULL STORY]
