By Greg Torode and Ben Blanchard HONG KONG/BEIJING May 7(Reuters) - Construction of China's first full-sized aircraft carrier is well under way, according to satellite images obtained and analyzed by a U.S. think tank. The images from April, provided to Reuters by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, reveal considerable recent activity … [Read more...]
U.S. Sends Aircraft Carrier to Middle East to Warn Iran
By Melissa Cheok (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. said it’s sending an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber force to the Middle East to send an “unmistakable message” to the Iranian regime, citing “a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” it suggested were linked to Tehran. “The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully … [Read more...]
Navy Busts $12.9 Billion Spending Cap On Supercarrier
by Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg) The US Navy’s costliest vessel ever just got pricer, breaching a $12.9 billion cap set by Congress by $120 million, the service told lawmakers this week. The extra money for the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. is needed to replace faulty propulsion components damaged in a January failure, extend the vessel’s … [Read more...]
China’s 1st New Aircraft Carrier To Start Sea Trials
by Ben Blanchard (Reuters) China first domestically developed aircraft carrier looks set to begin sea trials after pictures appeared on the Chinese internet on Monday of it leaving its dock in the northeastern port of Dalian. The still-unnamed carrier was launched this time last year but since then has been undergoing fitting of weapons and other systems and has … [Read more...]
US Navy Deploys A 3rd Carrier To The Pacific
By Anthony Capaccio (Bloomberg) The U.S. Navy has three aircraft carriers and their assorted missile-carrying vessels operating in or deploying to the western Pacific Ocean for the first time since 2011 as tensions with North Korea remain high and President Donald Trump prepares to depart for Asia next week. The milestone neared as the USS Nimitz and its strike group … [Read more...]