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China’s Fujian aircraft carrier doesn’t have radar and weapon systems yet, photos show
- Warship was launched a month ago and military analysts expect the process to get it ready for active service could take several years
- Recent images show mounting bases where the radar will be installed are empty, and an automatic cannon appears to have been dismantled
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China’s third aircraft carrier is undergoing fitting out at a shipyard in Shanghai, with recent photos posted on social media suggesting that its radar and weapon systems are not yet in place.
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The Fujian was launched a month ago, and military analysts say the process to get the warship ready for active service could take several years – from the fit-out to testing and sea trials.
Photos taken on Sunday by a military enthusiast and posted to Chinese microblogging service Weibo show two mounting bases on the control tower are empty. It appears they were covered when the warship was launched on June 17.
This is where the advanced radar system – an active electronically scanned array, or AESA, known as the Type 346 – will be installed.
What is known about the Fujian, China’s first home-designed aircraft carrier
According to Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at the Taiwanese Naval Academy, the radar system should be installed as part of the current fit-out.
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