Photos taken by military enthusiasts and posted on social media show the Type 002 aircraft carrier under construction in a dry dock in Jiangnan Shipyard outside Shanghai.
The South China Morning Post has reported that China is expected to launch its first next-generation aircraft carrier within a year, and construction on a sister ship has been fast-tracked.
The first Type 002 aircraft carrier has started the final assembly process, two independent sources told the South China Morning Post. It will be the country’s third aircraft carrier, and the second to be domestically built (the first was purchased from the Ukraine in 1998).
“Assembly of the new aircraft carrier has begun and is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, because the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down progress,” one of two sources that spoke with the paper said. Both sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
“Workers are also starting the keel-laying for the new carrier’s sister ship. Both ships have been built by the Jiangnan Shipyard outside Shanghai.” Laying the keel is deemed the official start of construction on a new ship.
However, production of the component parts for the first two Type 002 aircraft carriers started in 2015 and 2018 respectively. It is anticipated that the second carrier could also be completed by next year.
“Construction for the second Type 002 will be faster than the first one because workers have learned and overcome a lot of problems building the first one,” the second source said. “It’s a challenging job because the Type 002 is our country’s first domestically designed aircraft carrier.”
Recent photos circulated on mainland China’s social media platforms showed two huge parts berthed in a dry dock and assembled from prefabricated vessel components. There were incomplete flight decks on the top of them. The images showed that much progress had been made compared with previous satellite images taken in April 2019 by the US think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
#China steps up shipbuilding with two more #aircraftcarriers under construction. China aims to equal US naval strength in Pacific, its first domestically developed carrier. Type 002 vessels, advanced electromagnetic aircraft launch system allowing faster, more frequent take-off pic.twitter.com/ArfzRSyqFq
— NRao (@kamireddynrao) July 18, 2020
China's third and fourth aircraft carriers have begun their final assembly in Shanghai (photo from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/SAkXnFoDQR
— Morgan Artyukhina (@LavenderNRed) July 20, 2020
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Washington, DC, estimates the ships’ displacement to be roughly 80,000 tons each, with a 40-meter beam at the waterline. That’s nearly twice the displacement of China’s present carriers and comparable to the US Navy’s first supercarriers, but less than the most recent Nimitz-class and Ford-class carriers which have a displacement of 100,000 tons. LINK
The first two Russian-designed Type 001 aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, were built with ‘ski-jump’ ramps for launching aircraft. The Type 002 carriers will be equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, similar to that used by the US Navy’s new-generation Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.
The electromagnetic take-off technology means less wear and tear on the aircraft, allows more planes to be launched in a shorter time, and also enables the aircraft to carry more fuel and weapons.
Hong Kong-based military commentator Liang Guoliang said the Type 002 was not expected to be nuclear-powered because so far only Chinese submarines had used the technology and none of its surface warships were nuclear-powered.
“The nuclear-powered technology is designed for China’s fifth aircraft carrier, which is likely to be built in the Dalian Shipbuilding yard,” Liang said, referring to the manufacturer that built the Shandong ship.
China plans to build at least six aircraft battle groups by 2035, with the objective of matching US naval strength in the Pacific region. According to the strategy, China will have three fleets to patrol the Yellow Sea, East Sea and South China Sea respectively, with each fleet having two aircraft carriers. LINK
Liang said he expected that a new stealth carrier-based fighter jet designed for the Type 002 would make its debut when the first advanced warship was ready to be launched next year. Two candidates have been identified, the FC-31 or the J-20 stealth fighters. LINK1, LINK2
However, Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang think tank, a Beijing-based military science and technology institute, said the Type 002 carrier would continue to carry the J-15 ship-borne fighter jet, which is currently deployed on the Liaoning and Shandong.
The J-20 stealth fighter, one of three possible candidates for deployment on the Type 002 aircraft carriers
The J-20 is made by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation. The FC-31 was independently developed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation’s sister company Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), which also produced the J-15 – the jets currently in use.
Both aerospace firms are subsidiaries of the state-owned giant Aviation Industry Corporation of China, which specialises in designing and developing military aircraft, and were set up to provide benign competition between manufacturers.
Ground-based J-20s – also known as Powerful Dragons – entered service with the PLA Air Force in 2017. Mass production of the stealth fighters began late last year as China stepped up its efforts to counter the deployment of American F-22s and F-35s in the Asia-Pacific region.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Russia: meh… these are tools of the imperialism. Wait!
U.S.*
USSR had a project in the 60’s to build aircraft carriers and their main obstacle was of ideologic nature, they considered them imperialist tools. Today Russians also pretend that they could afford them but refuse to because they are still imperialist tools.
They can afford them. And they are right. Its only good to terroize third world nations. They are obsolete in the age if fast attack subs and super and hypersonic cruise missiles. Thats why mist naval posrrs has only 1-2 of them. Except for the crumbling U.S. Empire. Even the Pentagon said tgey are obsolete, Marine Core is already restructuring themselves to kice to small agile and fast platforms instead of carriers and amphibius assault ships(escort carriers).
I don’t feel terrorized by them, do you?
We arent living in third world countries tho…
But why are 2nd world countries terrorised too?
Like which countries?
All
Its more of economic terrorism than military. Well the U.S. Empire doesnt like competition. They try to keep the rest of the World down. But its not fuctioning anymore.
kh5uuhL.org
IDIOT much?
The USSR was an imperialist shit-hole. Even the chinese thought so. Even Putin says it!
In regard to aircraft carriers, Shoigu said it all: “we don’t need them, we need missiles to sink them”. This means that Russia has no plan at all to “project power”.
They are happy to live on the second biggest patch of land on the Earth ( second only to Antarctica ).
Look, they don’t have them because they are too expensive for them. And other than the nuclear submarines, the rest of Russian navy is a bad joke.
Ehm, today another US ship is on fire!! Their gay sailors go around the seven seas ramming fishing boats. And you say that the russian navy is a joke!
A Russian military ship sunk after ramming a ship with sheeps, around 2 years ago, look it up.
Wait, you said today, it’s the third one already?
a bad joke to online trolls who spout rubbish for a few coins
1 cent = 1 ruble.
Not true at all they have some very advanced missile cruisers
Those that need tug boats
No LG TD lavatorial facilities like G. Ford usn?
Chinese, Russian Foreign Ministers Agree: America Has ‘Lost Its Mind’
LONG LIVE CHINA ;)
Probably won’t last for a minute in an actual war as it’s Made in China lol
The US G. Ford, was delivered way over time, 5 billion over budged, and with 1 elevator instead of 11. Now the catapult has broken down. The F- 35 can`t fly more than 40 sec. at supersonic speed, otherwise its stealth coating falls off. The 22 billion Zumwalt-class destroyer is filled with problems.
They can pump out a carrier per year? Thats impressive.
They have 3 billion hands to put at work. So yes, they can!
The real question is why they need aircraft carriers. Their military doctrine doesn’t contemplate imperialism or subjugation by force. So why do they need to project power?
I think its to counter U.S. carrier strike groups on the South China Sea.
Then they need antiship missiles. The only reason I can think of, is to have platforms to launch attacks on US forces stationed on Pacific islands.
That too. But they want to go for sure.
The world is so made that without weapon life is impossible
Jesus fucking Christ, someone tell these people to calm the fuck down, US takes more than 5-7 years to build a carrier, makes you question the Quality of these new Chinese carriers, it’s still impressive though.
Impressive rate of shipbuilding happening in the PRC nowadays but first things first: fill another shipload of adult diapers for the boys and girls in the US State Department and Pentagon once they read this, especially for that Elephant Boy Pompositus Gigantus.
China building alliances across West Asia after the mammoth strategic pact with Iran
It is now certain that Pakistan, China, and Iran will form a joint military force for intelligence sharing and to carry out targeted operations against militants that use the Pakistan-Iran border to destabilize the region.
Reportedly, the Iran-China strategic agreement has the support of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps. An increased economic and military interdependence between China and Iran can lead to better cooperation between Pakistan and Iran’s intelligence agencies. The development certainly offers Pakistan a respite on the entire western flank, which remain susceptible to foreign subversive efforts and Iran’s non-engagement on security front
Nothing to be surprised about, China for most of its history has always been the most civilized, advanced and richest nation in the world, the century in which it was humiliated by British and American pirates was only an interlude, China returns to take the place it deserves, not only theft live the nations.
From Wiki:
The first sea-going sailing ships in Asia were developed by the Austronesian peoples from what is now Southern China Their invention of catamarans, outriggers, and crab claw sails enabled the Austronesian Expansion at around 3000 to 1500 BC.
Those sumbitches have been knocking out ships for 5000 years. Had a bit of practice.