China’s New Aircraft Carrier Has the U.S. Navy Pretty Worried

China already has the largest navy in the world, but it trails the United States in one area: the size and number of its aircraft carriers.

The U.S. has 11 supercarriers and several smaller ones, while China has two smaller carriers, and one large carrier that operates on conventional fuel. 

The Chinese are building ships at an incredible pace, and they are now reportedly building a new aircraft carrier that “could compete with the USS Gerald R. Ford,” according to news reports from Asia.

Aircraft Carrier Progress

China purchased decommissioned Soviet carriers such as the Minsk, Kiev, and Varyag in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Varyag underwent upgrades before being put into service as China’s first operational carrier, the Liaoning (Type 001), in 2012.

It is a small ramp-launch carrier. 

The Shandong (Type 002) was the first carrier built in China. Like the Liaoning, it has a ski-jump launch system. It was activated in 2019. 

The Fujian (Type 003) launched in 2022, and it featured noteworthy advances. It included electromagnetic catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) operations, enabling the carrier to take on a greater quantity and variety of aircraft.

CATOBAR operations also allow aircraft to carry heavier payloads than they can when using a ramp-assisted carrier and launching from a flat deck. 

The Fujian is the biggest carrier that isn’t American-made. But it is still conventionally powered and has to be refueled for prolonged use.

The Fujian went through sea trials in 2024 that familiarized the crew with the vessel’s capabilities and technologies.

The crew learned ship operations and performance, as well as the functioning of components such as aircraft lifts, electronics, and weapons-storage areas. 

With more than 85,000 tons of full-load displacement, compared to around 65,000 tons for the earlier ships, the Fujian does resemble U.S. carrier designs—albeit with conventional rather than nuclear propulsion.

That Enormous Aircraft Carrier By China 

Experts analyzing satellite photos of China’s Dalian shipbuilding facility conclude that work on China’s next aircraft carrier has yet to start. Images obtained by NBC show an engineering prototype of a module with two tracks, or trenches, which are said to be related to catapults.

Most analysis of what is known now points to a massive carrier on par with the Ford-Class of the U.S. Navy. 

American supercarriers have four electromagnetic catapults with two parallel tracks running on the bow and at the center. The two tracks in the satellite images of China’s prototypes converge at angles. Analysts believe the convergence of tracks is meant to address space constraints on the carrier.

But the angled tracks also might suggest the new carrier will be able to launch fighter jets from four parts of the flight deck, leading experts to conclude this will be a new ship design.

Michael Duitsman, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, a California-based nongovernmental organization devoted to curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, told NBC, “We think this is them testing equipment and layouts for the upcoming Type 04 carrier.”

But before leaping to conclusions about a future Chinese supercarrier, consider that this shipyard might not even be set up yet to build carriers. 

The tracks “obviously are related to catapults,” said H.I. Sutton, an independent naval analyst based in the UK. “But this is not the actual carrier under construction. Instead, it suggests that the yard is gearing up to produce carriers,” he said.

That would lead anyone to believe that this carrier is still a long way from production.

China Launched a Different Looking Ship With a Huge Flight Deck

The Chinese have, however, launched a strange-looking ship with a massive flight deck and three islands on the starboard side. TWZ was the first to report on this vessel: 

“A new class of light aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ship, or even a sea base-type vessel could offer the PLAN valuable additional operational capacity. A simpler design built more to commercial standards, and with an air component centered on crewed helicopters and drones, could also make a lot of sense for supporting certain missions. This might include presence operations, particularly in and around the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Such a ship could be useful for supporting anti-submarine warfare and amphibious operations, too.

“Just being able to build these ships at an additional shipyard could help the PLAN further accelerate its expansion of naval aviation and other capabilities.”

Stavros Atlamazoglou, writing for Sandboxx, said China has also launched a smaller drone carrier that had previously escaped notice. 

America Building More Carriers or Submarines?

New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the Navy needs more subs. He has already outlined his military priorities for the future, and he wants Virginia-class submarines to top the list for priority production. 

About the Author: Steve Balestrieri 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.