Aircraft carrier succeeds in maiden sea trials

BEIJING --China says the maiden sea trial of the country's refitted aircraft carrier has attained its objectives. National Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the carrier has returned to the shipyard, and all systems were operating as normal.

The vessel, former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, has been totally refitted for its new role as a research and training platform for the Chinese military. The vessel departed from a port in Dalian, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province on August 10th.

Yang said the Chinese Navy's inshore defense strategy and the defensive nature of the country's national defense policy will not change, despite the country's development of advanced weaponry.

Backgrounder: Aircraft carriers

BEIJING -- China's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the country is making use of an imported aircraft carrier body for refitting to be used for scientific research, experiment and training. The following is a brief introduction of aircraft carriers.

An aircraft carrier is a powerful warship that acts as a marine air base, allowing countries to exert military pressure and engage in battle worldwide without relying on local airfields.

The first modern aircraft carrier, the 14,459-ton HMS Argus, was built by Britain in May 1918 and was capable of carrying 20 aircraft.

Aircraft carriers project their power through their aircraft, which have superior radar scanning range, anti-ship missile range and anti-submarine ability over warships.

Lacking firepower, aircraft carriers are vulnerable to attacks by other warships. Therefore, they operate in fleets of ships that carry supplies and provide a defensive shield.

Aircraft carriers can be classified based on their role, size or functions. They are mostly labeled by their functions, which include anti-submarine carrier, helicopter carrier and escort carrier.

Nowadays, aircraft carriers represent a country's military power as well as its economic status, as construction and maintenance of aircraft carriers are expensive.