China's Newest Aircraft Carrier

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — China’s newest, largest and most-advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, took a big step to joining the world’s largest naval fleet on Wednesday as it set out from Shanghai for its first sea trials.

The naval assessment is expected to take place in the East China Sea, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the Jiangnan Shipyard where the carrier has been under construction for more than six years, according to Shanghai’s Maritime Safety Administration.

“The sea trials will primarily test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems,” read an announcement from the state-run Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.

The warship was launched in 2022 and has “completed its mooring trials, outfitting work and equipment adjustments” working up to the latest sea trials, Xinhua said.

With a displacement of 80,000 metric tons, the Fujian dwarfs the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) two active carriers, the 66,000-ton Shandong and the 60,000-ton Liaoning. Only the United States Navy operates bigger aircraft carriers than Fujian.   READ MORE...

Redeployed Aircraft Carrier

The USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is returning to waters off the coast of South Korea in the latest show of strength after North Korea's most provocative missile test in years.

A Navy spokesperson confirmed Wednesday the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is now in the Sea of Japan, which is off the Korean peninsula's east coast, but declined to comment further on "future operations."

The USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is returning to waters off the coast of South Korea in the latest show of strength after North Korea's most provocative missile test in years.

A Navy spokesperson confirmed Wednesday the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is now in the Sea of Japan, which is off the Korean peninsula's east coast, but declined to comment further on "future operations."  READ MORE...

Japans Aircraft Carrier

When Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro returned from his trip to Japan, he fired off a tweet that touted his tour of that country's "Aircraft Carrier Izumo." It was a short comment that recognized an important new naval reality for the longtime ally.

Japan's pacifist constitution meant its naval forces have relied on ships carrying helicopters for self-defense, not fighter jets — and it avoided using the term aircraft carrier — since the end of World War II.

Del Toro, whether intentionally or not, gave a public US acknowledgment of a historic shift by Tokyo toward its past as a carrier power. Late in 2018, the Japanese announced plans to refit two helicopter carriers including the Izumo for U.S.-built F-35B Lightning II fighters, part of an increasingly urgent effort to counter growing Chinese sea power.

A Navy spokesman said, "The tweet does not signal a change in how the US officially recognizes the ship."

Japan has a self-defense force, what most outsiders would recognize as a military, but its constitution proclaims that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained," meaning that it has historically avoided any military action or buildup considered offensive.

JS Izumo approaches the harbor at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, September 30, 2021. US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Darien Wright

"Governments have argued that Japan has the right to maintain capabilities and use the 'minimum necessary level of self-defense,'" explained Jeffrey Hornung, a scholar on Japan at Rand Corp. "Historically, anything that exceeds that is considered war potential, and therefore it violates the Constitution."   READ MORE...

Aircraft Carrier Turned Yacht

There are plenty of outrageously luxurious superyachts out there, and it’s no surprise that expectations keep going higher, with even more outlandish features making us marvel at today’s possibilities. One of the most interesting ideas comes from a Dutch visual production company and a German entrepreneur, who want to transform an old aircraft carrier into a super-premium mega-yacht.

We’re used to seeing aircraft carriers in their ready-for-combat mode, with fierce fighter jets waiting on the deck. What if, instead of that, we would see a completely different picture? Not just a peaceful-looking one, inviting passengers for total relaxation and pure indulgence, but even more daring than that.

Dutch Mitsi Studio created a jaw-dropping concept – the Noah Twins Carrier would not be just the world’s first aircraft carrier turned into a yacht, but it would be built with interchangeable decks, right out of a movie-like fantasy. 

As the Studio puts it, the design would be like a Swiss Army knife, with the possibility of swapping between a landing strip and a golf course. Yes, a landing strip would still be there, but for a helicopter and air-taxis instead of fighter jets. And the nine-hole golf course could also change into a ski slope with artificial snow, because why not?  READ MORE