China's first home-built carrier sets out for sea trials
China's first domestically developed aircraft carrier left its northeastern port to begin sea trials on Sunday, state media said, the latest milestone in the country's efforts to modernise its military.
The still-unnamed carrier was launched this time last year but since then has been undergoing fitting of weapons and other systems and has not yet entered service.
[...] "Our country's second aircraft carrier set sail from its dock in the Dalian shipyard for relevant waters to conduct a sea trial mission, mainly to inspect and verify the reliability and stability of mechanical systems and other equipment," Xinhua said.
"A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and it can last from a few hours to many days."
Also at CNN.
Previously: China Moving Full Speed Ahead in Construction of Aircraft Carriers
China Launches Aircraft Carrier
(Score: 4, Interesting) by deimtee on Monday May 14 2018, @08:31AM (1 child)
If you are trying to overwhelm the defences though, those missiles can be cheap as shit. All they need is a rocket motor, enough dumb guidance to head towards the carrier group, and a radar profile the same as your real missiles.
Doesn't even matter if half of them fall out of the sky on their own, the carrier group still has to spend ammo and counter-missiles on the rest, and that dilutes their defences to the point real missiles start getting through.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday May 14 2018, @09:49AM
I think you've tipped the game in favor of the defenders with the cheap(er) rockets. Now, the aggressor is unable to launch from hundreds of miles, or thousands of miles away. He has to get a bit closer, and more personal. Meaning, the launch platform(s) are trying to hide just over the horizon. That doesn't work real well against aircraft. Or, if there is a submarine or two with the carrier group, they are going to negate that horizon anyway. The carrier need only launch a strike at the attacker now. When the platform(s) are gone, there are no more attacks.