China’s readying its aircraft carrier debut — a gently owned Russian vessel that’s being refitted for serious sea cruising. The progress has been slow (it’s a gigantic aircraft carrier, to be fair), but has reached a milestone: lights on.
Electricity’s coursing through the Shi Lang (an old Soviet “Varyag” model) and China Defense Blog points out the deck’s mostly cleared. So this refurbished bruiser could be ready for plane-flinging action as soon later this year. Plane lights, deck lights, carrier lights, strobe lights, all of the lights, all of the lights. [China Defense Blog via DefenseTech]