China Returns Its First Carrier To Sea Trials

China Returns Its First Carrier To Sea Trials: Refitted Soviet Ship Varyag Raises Suspicions Among Neighbors It's easy to become so focused on the amazing pace of aviation development in China that we could forget - the country is also conducting sea trials of its first aircraft carrier. The ship is called the Varyag, and if that doesn't sound particularly Chinese, there's a reason. It's an old 300-meter-long Soviet carrier with an armored hull which was reported bought from Ukraine in 1998 without a powerplant, to be refitted.