Beijing: China's refitted aircraft carrier sailed for its second sea trial Tuesday, authorities said.
The ministry of national defense said that prior to sailing, the aircraft carrier had completed all the refitting and testing work as scheduled after its first sea trial in August.
The carrier was originally built by the former Soviet Union which named it Varyag, yet failed to complete the ship's construction before the collapse of the communist regime in 1991.
The still-unnamed aircraft carrier was an empty shell. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China, reportsa said.
The vessel, an Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier which measures 304.5 metres long and 37 metres wide, with a displacement of 58,500 metric tonnes, has been totally refitted for its new role as a research and training platform in China.
The vessel departed for its first trial from a port in Dalian, a city in northeast China's Liaoning province Aug 10.
Currently, the US, Britain, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, India, Brazil and Thailand, operate a total of 21 active-service aircraft carriers.
IANS
First Published: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 12:59