China Has a New Multi-Hulled Aircraft Carrier-Truth! & Fiction!

China Has a New Multi-Hulled Aircraft Carrier-Truth! & Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor:
This is a forwarded email with images that says China has built its first aircraft carrier. The new ship is multi-hulled, a superstructure on two pontoons, and has two helipad below the stern.

The Truth:

China has introduced its first aircraft carrier but, according to a June 8, 2011 BBC News article, the vessel is nothing close to what is described in this eRumor.

The article said that the carrier is actually a refit of a Soviet carrier, named the Varyag, which was built in 1985 but was never completed. The rusting hull was purchased from Russia in 1989 for $20,000,000U.S. and the semi-completed vessel now sits tied to a berth in the Chinese port of Dalian undergoing the finishing touches before her first cruise, which is anticipated in the next few months. A life-sized model of the carrier was constructed on land several miles away so that the Chinese navy could train her crew while work was being completed on the new carrier.

The BBC also said that China does plan to build 6 more carriers in the next 10 to 20 years but no designs have been released to the public at this time. Currently, the U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers in operation and Italy has 2. The United Kingdom, France, Thailand, Brazil, Spain, Russia and India each have one carrier.

Updated 7/27/11

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

China's new aircraft carrier! Wow!

These aircraft carriers look formidable and of ultra modern design. There are reports the 1st Chinese aircraft carrier is under construction and could enter service around 2015 or earlier. It won't be long before we see the real thing. Defense analysts are waiting; watching anxiously.

THIS IS QUANTUM LEAP ABOVE ANYTHING WE HAVE ON THE DRAWING BOARD. THEY HAVE THOUGHT " OUTSIDE THE BOX " ON THIS ONE. BETTER SPEED, LARGER CAPACITY, MUCH MORE STABLE, ETC. DEFINITELY A " BLUE-WATER " LONG REACH VESSEL.

PLUS THEY CAN SERVICE THEIR NUKE SUB FLEET IN-BETWEEN THE TWIN HULLS ( SIGHT UNSEEN ) OR EVEN LAUNCH AMPHIBIOUS OPPS FROM SAME. IT WILL BE LAUNCHED IN HALF THE TIME IT TAKES THE USA AT JUST ONE-THIRD THE COST. ADD THE NEW CHINESE STEALTH FIGHTER BOMBER ( NAVAL VERSION ALREADY FLIGHT TESTING ) IN THE MIX AND YOU HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A FORMIDABLE WEAPONS SYSTEM INDEED..

ALSO LOOK AT THAT EXTRA ''PARKING AND READINESS'' STATION BETWEEN BOTH HULL STRUCTURES.. AND OF COURSE THE LAUNCHING AND LANDING CAPABILITIES FROM THE UTILISATION OF TWIN FLIGHT DECKS AT ONCE

P.S. SOME THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ADVISING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO LEARN TO SPEAK MANDARIN ( FORGET SPANISH ) MY " VERY, VERY BRIGHT " 15-YEAR OLD 3rd COUSIN HAS ALREADY BEEN ADVISED TO DO SO BY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT SUCH THINGS.

P.P.S SIX OF THESE VESSELS ( TWO PACIFIC, TWO ATLANTIC, ONE INDIAN OCEAN AND ONE MED SEA ) WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD DIPLOMATIC " BIG STICK ". NOTE : THE CHINESE ARE ALREADY DRILLING FOR OIL OFF CUBA . BRAZIL AND VENEZUELA . CAN THEY BUILD A FLEET OF THESE THINGS ???

A FEW FACTS: THE CHINESE HAVE COMPLETED THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DAM ( THREE GORGES ),
THE WORLD'S LONGEST OVER-WATER BRIDGE ( 65 TIMES AS MUCH STEEL AS IN THE EIFFEL TOWER ).
CONSTRUCTED A 15.000 ' HIGH RAILROAD INTO TIBET (ALL CONSIDERED MAJOR ENGINEERING FEATS).

THEY ARE THE ONLY NATION OTHER THAN RUSSIA THAT CAN LAUNCH MEN INTO OUTER SPACE ( OUR CAPABILITY ENDS WITH THE LAST SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH THIS MONTH ).
THEY HAVE ALSO SHOT DOWN A SURVEILLANCE SATELLITE ( ONE OF THEIR OWN ) FROM THE GROUND. PLUS THEY " OWN OUR ASS " IN THE INTERNATIONAL DEBT GAME.

CHINA'S NEW A/C CARRIER COULD BE TWICE AS FAST AS ANYTHING WE HAVE, PLUS THE STABILITY OF A CATAMARAN TYPE HULL WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE PITCHING, YAWING AND SWAYING COMMON TO OUR PRESENT DESIGNS.