China to Launch Third Aircraft Carrier in 2022, Song Zhongping

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

China is making rapid progress with construction of its “third” aircraft carrier as part of a deliberate, stated effort to massively increase its ability to “project power” around the globe and advance its goal of evolving from a dominant regional power in the Pacific to a dominant maritime power on the global stage.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s first indigenous carrier, the Shandong, is the country’s second carrier. It is already performing dual-carrier operations and going on deployments near the South China Sea. China’s home built carrier features a larger, more expansive flat air deck quite similar to that of the US Navy’s Ford class.

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Song Zhongping: China’s Third Aircraft Carrier

Extending beyond this, China’s Global Times newspaper is now saying that its third carrier, called the Song Zhongping, will launch as soon as this year. The launch of this 3rd carrier is integral to China’s stated expansionist goals. The Chinese government-backed Global Times quotes a Chinese military expert saying “We need to sail to more unfamiliar waters, face more complicated weather and sea conditions in more complex missions, and have more accompanying forces.”