The Type 004 Will Be Larger Than the USS Gerald R. Ford and Carry More Aircraft — China’s First Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Is Already Being Built
China continues to build naval vessels at an impressive pace and is well on its way to a fleet of six more aircraft carriers by the mid-2030s.
Despite many analysts believing that aircraft carriers are increasingly vulnerable today due to the proliferation of anti-ship missiles, the Chinese remain firm believers in their power-projection capabilities.
China Aircraft Carrier PLAN Image
A Pentagon report released this week indicates that China aims to expand its navy to nine aircraft carriers by 2035, up from the current three (Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian).
The Pentagon’s 2026 China Military Power Report:
The U.S. report says that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will embark on the largest carrier build-up effort in the Indo-Pacific since World War II, by tripling its carrier fleet’s size.
“The PLAN aims to produce six aircraft carriers by 2035 for a total of nine,” the Pentagon said (on page 24 of the report).
This expansion, which averages one new carrier every 20 months, reflects a massive modernization effort aimed at securing maritime control and accelerating the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) capabilities.
A Fourth Supercarrier Is Already Under Construction:
China’s fourth aircraft carrier, widely identified as the Type 004, is currently under construction at the Dalian Shipyard and is expected to be China’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, with twin reactors, according to Jane’s.
“However, the real challenge lies in designing a high-performance reactor that is suitable for use in the sea, resistant to shocks and swells, suitable for radiation protection, and easy to maintain. Approval, certification, and operational testing can take years.”
China Aircraft Carrier Type 003 Conventional Supercarrier. Image Credit: X Screenshot.
Expected to be a massive supercarrier with a displacement of 110,000–120,000 tons, it will feature electromagnetic catapults (EMALS) to support advanced aircraft such as the J-35 and KJ-600, designed to perform a role similar to that of the E-2C/D Hawkeye launched from U.S. carriers.
This represents a significant jump in naval capability. For comparison, Ford operates 90 aircraft; the Type 004 will operate more than 100.
China Currently Has Three Conventionally Powered Carriers:
They currently have three carriers, but two are older models. One was the former Soviet-built and retrofitted Liaoning, which carries 24 fighters, and the indigenously built Shandong, another ski-jump-type carrier that is slightly larger and carries eight additional aircraft.
Their third carrier is the much more modern Fujian, which operates with a flat deck and a Ford-class-like electromagnetic catapult. It is the largest non-nuclear warship in the world. It is China’s first carrier to use a CATOBAR system.
The Design Issues Of The Fuijian:
The Fujian carrier has issues with its flight deck layout and island location, which bottlenecks aircraft on the flight deck and lowers the sortie rate. It has only about 60 percent of the operational capability of the Nimitz-class. This design flaw means the carrier can’t launch and recover aircraft simultaneously, a prerequisite for carriers of this size.
China Aircraft Carrier Mock Up Image.
The Fujian carries about 40 fighters but is conventionally powered, so its range without refueling is more limited. The PLAN’s oiler fleet is limited and would constitute vulnerable targets for U.S. forces.
However, in June of last year, China, for the first time, operated two aircraft carriers together off the First Island Chain, conducting hundreds of carrier launches and landings.
“Only 15 or so countries in the world operate aircraft carriers,” Australian naval analyst Jennifer Parker said.
“Very few of them would be able to operate two with associated escorts concurrently. While the carriers themselves are not the most capable, it demonstrates China’s increasing blue water expeditionary capability that is not constrained to their near seas.”
China’s Carrier Strike Groups Lack Of Stealth Fighters:
Chinese air wings currently don’t have enough fifth-generation fighters for their carrier force. The fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter is too large and too heavy for carrier operations.
China J-35 Naval Stealth Fighter. Image Credit: PLAN.
J-35 Fighter. Image Credit: Chinese Internet.
Their most prevalent carrier fighter is the fourth-generation J-15T. The more modern fifth-generation J-35 stealth fighter is currently in production, but the PLAN has only about 57 of them.
The plan is to produce enough to have 200 to 300 J-35s by 2030. Designed as a carrier-borne strike platform for the Fujian (CV-18), the J-35 provides the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with a fifth-generation, twin-engine capability to challenge the U.S. F-35 Lightning II.
“The J-35A has a different design than China’s first stealth fighter jet, the J-20. The J-20, with a canard wing configuration, is a heavy fighter jet with a focus on air superiority missions comparable with the US’ F-22, while the medium-sized J-35A uses a tailplane wing configuration similar to the US’ F-35 that also has strong surface attack capabilities,” The Global Times said.
China may also incorporate the massive, three-engine prototype J-36 stealth fighter into its carrier wings.
China’s Carriers Are Still Gaining Operational Experience:
The Chinese aircraft carriers still have a long way to go to match the U.S. Navy, primarily due to a significant gap in operational experience, crew training, and military doctrine.
While China is rapidly advancing technologically, it faces significant challenges in areas such as sustained 24-hour air operations, anti-submarine warfare, and sea-based logistics that can only be developed over time and with experience.
Members of the People’s Liberation Army navy are seen on board China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning as it sails into Hong Kong, China July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
The PLAN lacks the decades of real-world experience the U.S. has in conducting complex, sustained carrier operations and projecting power.
Aircraft and systems integration are behind the US. While China’s new carriers can launch jets with electromagnetic catapults, the U.S. has more advanced landing software and battle-tested systems.
Continuous Air Operations In All Weather, Is Still A Goal:
Last April, I posted that the Chinese carriers were still operating close to their shores and under the protection of their A2/AD. And in many instances, Chinese pilots took off or landed from Chinese airfields, rather than from the carriers. However, that is beginning to change as they conduct more carrier deployments.
Does China have an actual capability to conduct complex multi-carrier operations? The U.S. Navy has been doing this for more than 80 years. The Chinese have demonstrated their intent to conduct such operations, but mastering this skill takes time.
Night operations and operations in adverse weather conditions are staples of American carrier operations, as are continuous flight operations, which the Chinese have yet to master.
“The continuous operation of its carriers sits at the very core of what makes the U.S. military absolutely preeminent,” said Singapore-based defense analyst Alexander Neill
China’s first aircraft carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
China’s Carriers Are Closing The Technology Gap:
While their three carriers lack the number of stealth fighter coverage that the 11 US carriers currently have, they have aircraft under development to produce the needed stealth fighters to challenge US hegemony in the oceans.
Their current aircraft carriers have limited anti-missile defenses because older carriers were designed to operate under the protection of land-based missile networks rather than to possess comprehensive on-board defenses like U.S. carriers.
This strategy relies on land-based missile systems to create an anti-access bubble, a stark contrast to U.S. carriers, which are built to be self-sufficient and operate as “roaming nerve centers” for a wider network.
A Chinese Aircraft Carrier on the high-seas. Image Credit: Chinese Internet.
Because of this, China’s naval strategy emphasizes asymmetric warfare, using long-range anti-ship missiles to threaten enemy carriers at a distance. In contrast, their own carriers remain relatively vulnerable to direct attack.
However, the carrier strike groups built around the Type 004 and the Fujian will be capable of projecting power from anywhere. However, they still have work to do there.
But the massive advancements the PLAN has made in the last decade are very impressive. This is highlighted by the 2025/2026 deployment of the Fujian.
As China’s first independently designed, domestically built carrier, the Chinese have incorporated the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS), skipping steam catapults entirely.
Comparison of U.S. and Chinese Aircraft Carrier sizes. Image Credit: Screenshot.
This leapfrog technology will enable the launch of heavier aircraft, such as the J-35 stealth fighter and KJ-600 early-warning planes, significantly boosting combat capability and operating range.
In just over a decade, China has advanced from buying a refurbished Soviet hull (Liaoning) to building its own conventional carriers and now producing advanced, indigenously designed CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) ships.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, 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.
