China's first aircraft carrier battle group is expected to be formed next year to make up for the shortcoming of the limited combat radius of the country's existing fleets, according to China's official news agency Xinhua.
Citing the Military-Industrial Courier, a Russia-based weekly, the report said China's first carrier, the Liaoning, embarked on its first blue-water passage in early 2014 escorted by 12 vessels of different classes. The carrier, refitted in Dalian from a Soviet-era hulk purchased from Ukraine in 1998, was commissioned in 2012.
Beijing is considering different approaches for forming its aircraft carrier battle groups, including the one used by the United States Navy, the report said. Two new aircraft carriers built domestically with greater displacement and greater power are also planned, with the long-term goal of having four new carriers, it added.
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