Latest from PLAN

First, we have some updated photos of Varyag. You can see that they are getting ready to install the AESA radar panels that you see on 052C. You can also see that they are setting up a mast to install the Sea Eagle Volume Search radar that you see on 054A.






Here are some other photos we see from a recent magazine.









We also got some news recently. It was said that 998, China's only 071 LPD, will be in the next flotilla sent to Gulf of Aden. It looks like PLAN is intent on testing out all of its new goodies in an extended deployment.

We also got some news regarding to HQ-16 SAM that is found on 054A. The original article is as follows:

中国海军某新型舰空导弹－－绝对新型。
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1999年7月，某新型舰空导弹项目正式立项，明确采用新的发射技术。有趣的是，新型导弹的命名，是把当年 周总理命名的那型导弹后面的两个阿拉伯数字颠倒了。
2007年底，某试验海区。该新型舰空导弹首次进行舰上实导射击试验。2008年某月，定型试验，7天打7 发，全部命中。创造了中国海军舰空导弹第一次成功拦掠海飞行小目标，第一次成功拦截多目标，第一次成功拦截 超音速火箭靶弹的记录。
2009年10月－11月，570舰搭载该型导弹到海上靶场，发射多枚导弹。这是该型导弹首次在海军作战舰 艇由舰员操作进行实弹射击。

If we ignore some of the exaggerations about first, we can get the following:

• Project started in July of 1999
• Started conducting shipborne live firing testing for the first time at end of 2007
• In 2008, they conducted 7 tests in 7 days and hit all the targets
• Successfully intercepted small sea-skimming target. Successfully intercepted multiple targets at the same time and intercepted supersonic target
• From October to November of 2009, 570 carrying HQ-16 returned to the test ground to fire off more missiles.