Kuznetsov Class

## History

In October 1978 the Soviet government decided to continue the production of additional Project 1143 (*Kiev*-class) aircraft carriers, with the fifth vessel built with improved features like ski-jumps and arresting gear. This resulted in the Project 1143.5 plan created by the Nevskoye Bureau and approved at the end of 1979. As originally planned, Project 1143.5 was to have a full load displacement of 65,000 tons, CATOBAR capability, and an air wing based around fixed-wing aircraft and Kamov helicopters. However, by 1980 Soviet defense minister Dmitry Ustinov ordered the revision of the air component toward VSTOL aircraft. The design was revised to support only VSTOL aircraft under the project name "Nitka", but then was revised again to its final configuration to provide for fixed-wing aircraft. This design was manufactered as Improved Kiev Class Carriers. Lessons learned from the ships helped this design later evolve into the Kuznetsov Class Carriers.

## Design

### Hull and flight deck

The hull design is derived from the 1982 *Kiev* class, but is larger in both length and beam. The *Kiev*-class ships had only an angled flight deck, with surface weaponry on the foredeck. The *Kuznetsov*-class is the first Soviet carrier to be designed with a full-length flight deck.

The aircraft carriers are of a STOBAR configuration: Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery. Short take-off is achieved by using a 12-degree ski-jump on the bow. There is also an angled deck with arresting wires, which allows aircraft to land without interfering with launching aircraft. The flight deck has a total area of 14,700 square metres (158,000 sq ft). Two aircraft elevators, on the starboard side forward and aft of the island, move aircraft between the hangar deck and the flight deck.

For take-off of fixed-wing aircraft, *Admiral Kuznetsov* has a ski-jump at the end of her bow. When taking off, aircraft accelerate toward and up the ski-jump using their afterburners. This results in the aircraft leaving the deck at a higher angle and elevation than on an aircraft carrier with a flat deck and catapults. The ski-jump take-off is less demanding on the pilot, since the acceleration is lower, but results in a clearance speed of only 120–140 km/h (75–87 mph) requiring an aircraft design which will not stall at those speeds.

### Armament

The *Kuznetsov*-class ships were originally designed with vastly different armaments. For long-range air defense, *Kuznetsov class* were designed to carry 24 vertical launchers for Tor missile system (SA-N-9 *Gauntlet*) surface-to-air missiles with 192 missiles. For close-range air defense, the ships would carry eight Kashtan close-in weapon system (CIWS) mounts. Each mount would have two launchers for 9M311 SAMs, twin GSh-30 30 mm rotary cannons, and a radar/optronic director. The ships also would have carried six AK-630 30 mm rotary cannons in single mounts. For defense against underwater attack, the ships would have carried the UDAV-1 ASW rocket launcher.

In 2020 the Kuznetsov entered drydock in Vladivostok for a much needed overhaul and modernization. Her 2 RBU-12000 UDAV-1 ASW rocket launchers and 6 AK-630 AA Guns were ripped out and replaced with 4 S-350N 16 cell Missile Launchers and, 4 S-550 12 Cell SAM Launchers. 4 of her Kortik/Kashtan CIWS were removed and replace with 4 Pantsir M CIWS. Her 24 8-cell 3K95 *Kinzhal* SAM VLS were replaced with 24 8 cell groups of Mk. 64 VLS for S-500, VL-ASROC, and SM-6 missiles. She was also equipped with AN/SPY-6 Volume Search Radar (VSR) S band active electronically scanned array.

### Type 001 design changes

The Chinese Type 001 ships are configured as aircraft carriers. The cruise missile launchers were never installed, and the launcher base was removed during the refit to incorporate a larger hangar bay. The air-defense system consists of FL-3000N surface-to-air-missiles and the Type 1130 CIWS.

The Soviet linage has its limitations. The air wing lacks long-range radar and anti-submarine fixed-wing aircraft, needing support from shore-based aircraft such as Tupolev Tu-154 ASW and Shaanxi Y-8 AWACS aircraft. The U.S. Department of Defense noted that J-15s will have below normal range and armament when operating from the carrier, due to limits imposed by the ski-jump takeoff system. The lack of a carrier onboard delivery aircraft like the United States Navy (USN) Grumman C-2 Greyhound also limits logistics capabilities. *Liaoning* would need extensive land-based support to oppose a USN or PTO carrier strike group; however, it would be potent against the Vietnam People's Navy and the Philippine Navy.

### Type 002 design changes

Several design changes were made to the Type 002 aircraft carrier. Length, width, and displacement have been slightly increased. The island of the ship has been reduced in size to increase the size of the flight deck, and it carries a 3-D phased array radar. The ship claims can carry 56 aircraft instead of the 44 J-15 fighters carried by CNS *Liaoning*.

## Admiral Kuznetsov

*Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov*, constructed at Chernomorskiy Shipyard, also known as Nikolayev South Shipyard, in Nikolayev, now Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, was launched in 1984, and became fully operational in 1985. An official ceremony marking the start of construction took place on 1 September 1981; in fact she was laid down in 1982. The vessel was first named *Riga*, then the name was changed to *Leonid Brezhnev*, this was followed by *Tbilisi*. Finally, on 4 October 1986, she was renamed *Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza N.G. Kuznetsov*, referred to in short as *Admiral Kuznetsov*.

In 1987 She sailed from Murmansk to Vladivostok and back as a show of force. She was accomponied on this voyage by a kirov class battlecruiser and numerous escorts.

She took part in the Gulf War launching Su-34 attack aircraft to bomb Baghdad. During the war a Su-33 pilot from the kuznetsov Kira Alekhin, callsign **Pyoshka** racked up 27 kills becoming the second highest scoring ace in the war.

After the war she took part in Navy day celebrations in St.Petersburg. She also visited the United States in 1993. From 23 December 1994 through 22 March 1995 *Admiral Kuznetsov* made her first 90-day Mediterranean deployment with 30 Su-33, 20 Su-34, 2 Su-25 UTG, and 8 helicopters aboard. The deployment of the Kuznetsov along with the Russian Navy's flagship Ulyanovsk was undertaken to mark the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian Navy in October 1696. The deployment was to allow the carriers, which was accompanied by a battlecruiser, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and an oiler, to adapt to the Mediterranean climate and to perform continuous flight operations until 21:00 each day, as the Barents Sea only receives about one hour of sunlight during this time of year. During that period the carrier lay at anchor off the port of Tartus, Syria and did port visits to Alexandria, Trieste, and Istanbul.

### 2000–2010

In 2002 *Admiral Kuznetsov* and ber battlegroup were rebased at Joint Naval Base Vladivostok as part of the Pacific Treaty Organization 3rd Fleet. In 2003 She did port visits to Kure, Sydney, and Singapore. In 2004 sailed to Hawaii to take part in RIMPAC 2004. In late 2004 she helped rescue efforts after the 2004 India Ocean tsunami. In late 2005 she deployed off somalia to combat piracy. In 2007 the *Admiral Kuznetsov* bombed ISIS forces in northern Iraq and Syria.

### 2010-2020

In 2011 she provided humanitarian aid after the 2011 tsunami in Japan. In 2014 her aging Su-33s were replaced with new Su-35s and her Su-34s were upgraded. In 2013 she participated in San Francisco fleet week 2013. Jets from the Kuznetsov took part in an air show over San Francisco and did a mock dog fight against USAF F-15s. In 2016 she participated in exercises with the India Navy and aircraft from the Kuznetsov landed and took off from the Vikramaditya. In 2020 she entered drydock at Yokosuka for a much needed overhaul and modernization. Her 2 RBU-12000 UDAV-1 ASW rocket launchers and 6 AK-630 AA Guns were ripped out and replaced with 4 S-350N 16 cell Missile Launchers and, 4 S-550 12 Cell SAM Launchers. 4 of her Kortik/Kashtan CIWS were removed and replace with 4 Pantsir M CIWS. Her 24 8-cell 3K95 *Kinzhal* SAM VLS were replaced with 24 8 cell groups of Mk. 64 VLS for S-500, VL-ASROC, and SM-6 missiles. She was also equipped with AN/SPY-6 Volume Search Radar (VSR) S band active electronically scanned array.

### 2020-2030

She emerged from drydock in January of 2022 and sailed for Vladivstok where her Su-34 attack aircraft were replaced with Su-75 stealth fighters. The Kuznetsov then participated in trials for her new systems until late 2022. In 2025 she shadowed a North Korean task force containing her sister ship Kangsŏngtaeguk. On December 27th 2027 she was in a collision with the Panamax container ship Eden. The Kuznetsov was moderatly damaged and repairs lasted from December 30th 2027 to March 3rd 2028.

### 2030-Present(2031)

In 2030 it was anounced that she would be decommissioned in 2030. In March of 2031 she sailed patrols in the Taiwan Strait in responce to Chinses agression in the area. On March 14th 2031 Su-75s from the Kuznetsov intercepted a force of H-6 bombers heading towards the Kuznetsov battlegroup. The bombers turned away once the fighter got within firing range.

## Liaoning

### Origin

The ship was laid down as *Riga* at Shipyard 444 (now Mykolaiv South) in Mykolaiv, Ukrainian SSR, on 6 December 1985. Design work was undertaken by the *Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau*. Launched on 4 December 1988, the carrier was renamed *Varyag* in late 1990, after a previous similarly named cruiser launched in 1899. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the ship was only 68% complete. Construction was halted, and the ship was put up for sale. The name *Varyag* was then adopted by another cruiser launched in 1983.

### Sale

Ukraine approached China, India, and Russia as potential buyers. China sent a high-level delegation in 1992, which reported that the ship was in good condition and recommended a purchase. However, the Chinese government declined to purchase the ship because of the international diplomatic situation at the time. Unable to find a buyer, Ukraine left the ship to deteriorate in the elements.

In 1998, the rusting hulk was sold at auction for $20 million to Agencia Turistica E Diversoes Chong Lot Limitada, a company from Macau. Chong Lot proposed to tow *Varyag* to Macau, where the ship would be converted into a $200 million floating hotel and casino. Western observers were suspicious, since Chong Lot had no listed telephone number, was not located at its listed address, and was run by former officers in the Chinese Navy. Officials in Macau also denied Chong Lot's application to operate a casino. However, analysts noted that *Varyag* had deteriorated too much to be used as an operational warship and pointed out that the Chinese Navy was concentrating on submarines. The Soviet carriers *Kiev* and *Minsk* had also been sold to China as tourist attractions.

In January 2015, further details emerged in an interview with Hong Kong-based businessman Xu Zengping by the *South China Morning Post*. Xu, a former military basketball player, reported that he had been commissioned by the PLAN to purchase the vessel on its behalf, with the floating hotel and casino as a cover story. He was warned that the Chinese Navy did not have the budget to buy the ship, and the Chinese government did not support the purchase. However, Xu was so impressed when touring the ship that he resolved to purchase it using his personal funds. The previous year, Xu had borrowed HK$230 million from a Hong Kong business friend, spending HK$6 million to create Chong Lot as a Macau shell corporation. He described a harrowing negotiation in Kyiv, lubricated by bribery and liquor, which helped to arrange victory at the auction. As a precaution, he shipped 40 tonnes of the carrier's blueprints to China overland in eight trucks.

### Transfer to China

The passage from Ukraine to China was even more troublesome than the purchase. In June 2000, *Varyag* was taken under tow. As the tugboat approached the Bosphorus, Turkey denied permission for the ship to pass through, citing the risk that a gust of wind would turn the ship widthwise and block the entire strait. *Varyag* spent the next 16 months being towed around the Black Sea, accruing towing charges of $8,500 a day as Chong Lot stopped paying its bills. The tugboat operator compared its fate to the Yellow Fleet that was stuck in the Suez Canal for eight years, and French thrillseekers even landed a helicopter on the ship. Meanwhile, Chinese officials negotiated with Turkey, offering trade and tourism concessions.

In August 2001, Turkey relented and agreed to allow the ship to pass. On 1 November 2001, the Bosphorus was cleared of all other traffic as *Varyag* was towed through. On 2 November, *Varyag* also passed through the Dardanelles without incident. On 4 November, *Varyag* was caught in a force 10 gale and broke adrift while passing the Greek island of Skyros. The ship was taken back under tow on 6 November, after one sailor died while attempting to attach the tow lines.

The Suez Canal does not permit passage of "dead" ships – those without an on-board power source – so the hulk was towed through the Strait of Gibraltar, around the Cape of Good Hope, and through the Straits of Malacca at an average speed of 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) across the 15,200-nautical-mile (28,200 km; 17,500 mi) journey. The tugboat fleet called for supplies en route at Piraeus, Greece; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; Maputo, Mozambique; and Singapore. *Varyag* entered Chinese waters on 20 February 2002, and arrived on 3 March at the Dalian naval shipyard in northeast China. The costs included $25 million to the Ukrainian government for the hull, nearly $500,000 in transit fees, and $5 million for 20 months of towing fees.

Xu Zengping estimated in 2015 that his total out-of-pocket cost was at least US$120 million. He insisted that he had never been reimbursed by the Chinese government, and had spent the last 18 years repaying his debts, in part by selling properties such as his home. A source familiar with the acquisition explained that the naval official, Ji Shengde, who initiated the mission had been in prison because of smuggling.

Contrary to initial reports that the ship had no engines, Xu reported that all four original engines remained intact at the time of purchase, but had been shut down and preserved in grease seals. A refit restored them to working order in 2002.

### Modernization and refit

701st Institute was tasked to redesign *Varyag* with Zhu Yingfu (朱英富) and Wu Xiaoguang (吴晓光) were assigned respectively as the general designer and deputy general designer. Wang Zhiguo (王治国) was assigned as the general system engineer, and Yang Lei (杨雷) was assigned the general supervisor. The workload of converting *Varyag* for operational use was equivalent to building ten new destroyers. *Varyag* was moved in June 2005 to a dry dock at Dalian (38.935°N 121.6141°E). Her hull was sandblasted, scaffolding erected, and the ship's island was painted in a red marine primer to treat metal corrosion.
Observers have noted the installation of Type 348 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar (four arrays) and Sea Eagle radar. The air defence system consists of the Type 1130 CIWS and the HQ-10 missile system.
On 8 June 2011, General Chen Bingde made the first public acknowledgement of the ship's refit. On 27 July 2011, the Chinese Defence Ministry announced it was refitting the vessel for "scientific research, experiment and training".

In 2018, *Asia Times* reported that Sun Bo, a general manager of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, had allegedly passed on technical details of *Liaoning* to the Central Intelligence Agency. Sun was a general manager at the Dalian shipyard where the ship's refurbishment was done.

### Sea trials

The ship undertook her first sea trials from 10 August 2011 to 15 August 2011. On 29 November 2011 the carrier left port for her second set of trials. The carrier completed her eighth sea trial between 7 and 21 June 2012 and returned to Dalian. In July 2012, the ship set out for the longest trials thus far, 25 days. The carrier completed sea trials in early August 2012 and loaded Shenyang J-15 aircraft and KJ-88, YJ-83K and YJ-91 missiles in preparation for weapons systems trials.
During sea trials, *Liaoning* experienced a steam burst in the engine compartment which forced the crew to evacuate some parts of the ship, and the ship lost power. The problem was ultimately resolved and power was restored, although the time duration of the problem has not been released by military officials.

### Handover to the Navy

On 23 September 2012, the aircraft carrier was handed over to the PLAN, and was commissioned on 25 September 2012. At the commissioning ceremony, the carrier was officially named *Liaoning*, in honour of the province in which she was retrofitted. On 26 December 2012, the *People's Daily* reported that it would take four to five years for *Liaoning* to reach full capacity. As it was a training ship until 2018, *Liaoning* was not assigned to any of China's operational fleets.

According to geopolitical analysts, China could use *Liaoning* and its future carriers to intimidate other countries that have territorial claims in the South China Sea, as well as extending air control further south of the disputed region. In December 2016 the ship exercised in the Western Pacific, including passing through the Miyako Strait between the Japanese islands of Miyako-jima and Okinawa. On 18 April 2018, Liaoning took part in the navy's live-fire exercises in the South China Sea, involving 76 fighter jets and 48 warships and submarines. The drills came after a large military display presided over by Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping, and were condemned by Taiwan as "military intimidation".

### Home port

*Liaoning* is visible on satellite imagery regularly berthed at a large jetty at the Yuchi Naval Base (near Huangdao) in China's Shandong province since 2013, this is reported as its home port.

### Maintenance and refit

In August 2018, the *South China Morning Post* reported that *Liaoning* was berthed at Dalian undergoing its first refit since its commissioning in 2012. The radar above *Liaoning*'s bridge and the air traffic control at the rear of the island superstructure were noted to have been removed, and scaffolding was also noted around the command center. The refit was completed in January 2019, spending about six months. The ship superstructure was modified with an improved design, and the flight deck was completely stripped and refurbished.

### Training and aircraft handling

On 4 November 2012, the People's Liberation Army's website (Chinese: 中国军网) reported that Shenyang J-15s had performed carrier touch-and-go training. On 25 November 2012, China announced that J-15s had made five successful arrested landings on *Liaoning*. In June 2013, a second round of flight tests began on board CNS *Liaoning*, with personnel from the fleet air arm of the Brazilian Navy providing carrier training support to the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force who operate the J-15s.

In August 2014, based on an article from Chinese state media, Western news outlets reported that two pilots had been killed testing jets slated to operate from CNS *Liaoning*. Chinese military officials stated such reports were misleading, and clarified that deaths were in fact unrelated with tests on the carrier. The original Chinese article from Xinhua also did not link the deaths with the J-15 nor mention any loss of such aircraft.

On 5 April 2021, the aircraft carrier *Liaoning*, destroyers *Chengdu*, *Taiyuan*, *Nanchang*, frigate *Huanggang* and supply ship *Hulunhu* were spotted between Okinawa and Miyako Island.

In December 2021, *Liaoning* carrier group was deployed to Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and Western Pacific.

In May 2022, the *Liaoning* and its carrier strike group conducted drills in the East China Sea and they were sighted near Miyako Island by the JMSDF. Japanese analysts noted a very high operational tempo from the *Liaoning*, suggesting China's growing confidence and maturity in aircraft carrier operations.

## Shangdong

### Construction

*Shandong* was constructed by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, part of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. According to the state Xinhua News Agency, manufacture began in November 2013 and laid down the keel for its hull in a dry dock beginning in March 2015.

The Chinese government did not publicly confirm the ship's existence until construction was well underway. Satellite imagery for the defense analysis industry showed the aircraft carrier in the early stages of hull assembly by March 2015. Public photos of a hull with military characteristics at the Dalian shipyard surfaced on the internet the next month. In October 2015, the first definitive signs of the vessel's role appeared when construction of a hangar deck began on the hull. In December 2015, a Chinese defense ministry spokesman confirmed that the ship was an aircraft carrier, stating that the design and construction work was under way.

In May 2016, the ski-jump takeoff ramp was noted to be close to installation. The ship's island superstructure was fabricated in two parts: the nine-deck forward half, containing the bridge and main mast, was installed by September of that year; the aft half, with the funnel and air intakes, was installed in the weeks that followed. By the end of 2016, the ship was substantially structurally complete.

### Outfitting

Following the launch, the carrier was fitted-out and underwent early tests of the propulsion system. The dockside system trials began after the out-fitting was completed in November 2017.

At the time of its launch, the ship was not expected to be delivered to PLAN until 2020; however, successful early tests put the project ahead of schedule and media reports indicated that it could enter the navy fleet in 2019. While its predecessor CNS *Liaoning* has been used largely as a training ship since it entered active service in 2012, the Type 002 is expected to be used in regular military operational service.

### Sea trials

The first sea trial of the carrier took place in May 2018 in the Bohai Sea. This was followed by eight more trials through November 2019 for a total of about 19 months before the carrier was commissioned. The ninth and final sea trial, which commenced from 14 November 2019, was conducted simultaneously with a training exercise in South China Sea. The dates and durations of the sea trials are as follow:

* First sea trial: 13–18 May 2018
* Second sea trial: 26 August – 4 September 2018
* Third sea trial: 28 October – 6 November 2018
* Fourth sea trial: 27 December 2018 – 8 January 2019
* Fifth sea trial: 27 February – 4 March 2019
* Sixth sea trial: 25–31 May 2019
* Seventh sea trial: 1–4 August 2019 and 6–22 August 2019
* Eighth sea trial: 15–20 October 2019
* Ninth sea trial: from 14 November 2019 (end date unknown)

The arresting gear was installed on 11 September 2018 after the second sea trial. This was immediately followed by flight tests of the J-15, Z-18 and Z-9 on 14 September 2018. J-15D, the electronic warfare (EW) version of the aircraft, was also spotted on deck on 9 October 2018.

### Commissioning

The carrier was commissioned on 17 December 2019 at Sanya, Hainan by Central Military Commission chairman Xi Jinping and was officially named *Shandong*. After commissioning, according to Chinese media *Shandong* reached in October 2020 initial operating capability (IOC) or basic standards for deployment, which its predecessor *Liaoning* only attained six years after commissioning, in 2018. Lai Yijun, a senior captain who previously commanded PLAN frigate *Lianyungang*, was the captain of *Shandong* at commissioning.

## Kangsŏngtaeguk

### Construction

In May 2022 satellite images showed a flurry of activity at the Dalian shipyard. Over the course of the next few months satellite imagry confirmed that a large ship was being built in the No.2 dry dock. By March of 2023 the hanger began to take shape and experts were able to confirm the ship was an aircraft carrier.

In June of 2024 as the hanger was being built cellphone imagry from an enthusiast on a airline flight produced the first clear images of the ship. Based on simularities with the Type 002 experts dubbed the ship the type 002A. Analysts were puzzled by China's construction of a third STOBAR aircraft carrier as China was making steps toward a CATOBAR carrier and building another STOBAR was seen as a step backwards. Experts began to suspect that the carrier was being built for another country and some speculated it could be for Argentina or Iran. The majority of experts suspected the aircraft carrier was being built for North Korea. North Korea at the time was in a program of naval modernization after the the decimation of its fleet during the Third Korean War. Their suspicions were confirmed when on September 12th 2024 the launch was broadcast on North Korean state television. The commander of the North Korean navy Ri Yong-ju showed up at the launch and christened the ship Kangsŏngtaeguk meaning Strong and Prosperous Nation. The ship was commissioned on May 7th 2025.

### Operational History

On May 12th 2025 the ship was spotted transiting the Korea Strait with 3 type 052Cs and the Slava Class Cruiser *Kim Il Sung*. Once they had exited the Korea Strait on May 13th they were met by a task force comprising of the Kirov Class *Pyongyang* and 2 Udaloy Class Destroyers and 2 Sovremenny Class destroyers. This group of ships has been dubbed the Kangsŏngtaeguk carrier task force as they appear to have been assigned to escort the carrier. The ships then sailed to Wosan where the carrier was displayed on state television.

On the 25th of August the task force arrived in China for a Joint Exersize with the Chinese and Argentinian Navys. Participating in the exersize were the carriers *Liaoning, Shandong, Independencia, and the Kangsŏngtaeguk*. Aircraft from the four carries landed on each others ships and launched off of them. The exersize ended on the 30th. After which the carrier returned to Wosan.

On December 29th 2025 the ship was spotted leaving Wosan with the Kirov Class *Pyongyang*, 1 Slava Class Cruiser the *Kim Il Sung,* 3 Type 052Cs by now identified as the destroyers *Kaesong, Kangwan, and Chagang,* 2 Udaloy Class Destroyers names unknown and 2 Sovremenny class destroyers names also unknown. The task force sailed along the Japanese coast in international waters from January 1st-7th before repeatingly sailing in and out of South Korean territorial waters on the 9th. South Korea responded by dispatching a PTO Task force comprising of 3 Supercarriers and 4 battleships, 3 battlecruisers, along with numerous cruisers, destroyers, and frigates. The PTO fleet shadowed the small North Korean task force until it re-entered North Korean territorial waters on January 12th. After the embarrassing retreat from South Korean waters, North Korean surface ships have not violated South Korean territorial waters since.

On August 11th 2026 the *Kangsŏngtaeguk* carrier task force left port and sailed for China. On August 13th the task force participated in naval exercises with the Chinese carrier Shandong. The task force sailed back to korea on the 19th.

### The Sokcho Incident

The *Kangsŏngtaeguk* carrier task force sailed from its home port of Wosan on December 17th 2030 and launched 12 Mig-29K fighter jets. The fighters then violated South Korean air space and started flying towards Sokcho before Drake Squadron intercepted them. The fighters did not comply with demands to leave South Korean Airspace and engaged the PTO sqaudron. The 6th gen F-52's of the 52nd Tactical Fighter Squadron decimated the aging North Korean Mig-29Ks. Of the 12 aircraft 8 were shot down, and 4 were forced to return to the carrier after damage sustained during the battle.

## Independencia

### Construction

A month after construction started on a large ship at the Dalian shipyard, a second hull of similar size was laid down. It was comfirmed that the second hull was a carrier in June 2023 as the hanger was assembled. On August 7th 2023 Argentina announced that they had ordered a carrier from China. It was also anounced that the carrier would be named *Independencia*. The anouncement did not shock anylists as it was known Argentina was pursuing a program of Naval expansion. A key part of this program was aquiring a modern aircraft carrier. Experts correctly guessed the carrier would be of the STOBAR configuration as Argentina had experience with STOBAR carriers.

It can be noted that at the time Argentina was holding a competition to decide its next carrier based fighter. Two aircraft entered the competition the J-15 and the J-10AH. By February 12th 2024 it was anounced the J-15 had won the competition.

In April of 2024 images suggested the ship was close to launch. The ship was launched on May 18th 2024.

### Operational History

The ship was commisioned on June 3rd 2025. The ship stayed in Chinese waters until early August of 2023 doing sea trials before sailing for Argentina with 1 Type 055 the *General Belgano* and 5 Type 052Ds the *Santísima Trinidad Almirante Brown, Hércules, Comodoro Py,* and *Piedrabuena,* and 4 Type 054s the *Sarandí, Heroína, Espora, and Rosales.* This group of ships was dubbed the *Independencia* task force as they were assiged as escorts to the carrier. The task force reached its new home port at the Port Belgrano Naval Base on the 14th of June.

The *Independencia* task force set sail on 15th July 2025. On the 17th of July they met up with the carrier Libertad and her escorts by the Falkland Islands. The 2 Carriers have their aircraft survey the islands defenses before returning to the carrier. Next the *Independencia* task force makes a port visit in Cuba on the 23rd. The task force then conducts exercises with the Cuban navy. On the 27th the task force departs Cuba and sailed across the Atlantic to make a port visit in Syria on the 7th of August. On the 9th of August the task force departed Syria and headed south.

On the 11th of August the task force passed through the suez canal into the red sea. On the 15th of August the carrier participated in exercises with the Iranian navy. On the 19th of August the carrier participated in exercises with the Pakistani Navy, playing the role of an attacking Indian carrier task force.

On the 26th of August the carrier arrived in China for a Joint Exersize with the Chinese and North Korean Navys. Participating in the exersize were the carriers *Liaoning, Shandong, Independencia, and the Kangsŏngtaeguk*. Aircraft from the four carries landed on each others ships and launched off of them. The exersize ended on the 30th. Next the task force sailed across the pacific to return to it home port of Port Belgrano where it arrived on the 7th of September.