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South China Sea: PLA’s new dry dock in Hainan big enough for Type 002 aircraft carriers, analysts say
- Satellite images show facility at Yulin Naval Base in Sanya will be able to accommodate the giant warships
- The first of China’s next-generation carriers is expected to launch next year
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A dry dock being built at China’s naval complex on the island province of Hainan in the South China Sea will be big enough to accommodate the country’s new generation of aircraft carriers, military analysts say.
Satellite images found this month via the Earth Explorer website show the facility under construction at the Yulin Naval Base in Sanya, where China’s first domestically developed aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was commissioned in December last year.
The dock is located about 2.5km (1.5 miles) from a pier where a Type 075 amphibious assault ship and several smaller warships were seen berthing recently.
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Two military sources said the dock was being built to serve the new Type 002 aircraft carriers.
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“In the future, it’s very likely at least one of the Type 002 carriers will be based in the South China Sea, which has strategic importance to China,” a source close to the PLA Navy said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“All aircraft carriers need to spend more than half the year undergoing maintenance, so it’s necessary to build a dry dock before the launch of the new aircraft carrier,” the person said.
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