China to Begin Construction of Seventh Aircraft Carrier: New Details Emerge On Fleet Expansion Plans

With a single aircraft carrier in frontline service, two in various stages of sea trials, and another three under construction, China is set to imminently begin construction of a seventh carrier for the People’s Liberation Army Navy. A Chinese carrier fleet of seven warships completed by 2025 was predicted by some analysts as early as June 2018, and with its shipyards having demonstrated efficiency, punctuality and a massive capacity this appears set to be realised. Where it was previously reported that China’s seventh carrier would be a Type 003 Class supercarrier, a nuclear powered vessel expected to displace 100 tons or more, recent reports have indicated that this will instead be a second ship of the Type 002 Class. These ships are expected to displace approximately 85,000 tons, and will be conventionally powered meaning far lower construction and operational costs but a shorter range. With China’s Navy focused almost exclusively on protecting the country’s territorial claims in Northeast Asia, the range of the Type 002 Class appears more than sufficient and there appears to be no imminent need for nuclear powered ships. It remans uncertain if and when construction of ships of the Type 003 Class design will commence.

China’s sole serving carrier, the Liaoning, is a Type 001 Class platform based on the Russian Kuznetsov Class design. It displaces approximately 68,000 tons. The Type 001A Class carrier of similar displacement is currently undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned in early 2020 - possibly before the new year. The platform represents a modernisation of the original Type 001 and Kuznetsov design. Also undergoing trials is a single Type 075 Class ship displacing around 40,000 tons - two more of which are currently under construction. The warship is comparable in its design to the U.S. Navy’s Wasp Class and America Class super carriers, and is capable of deploying specially design vertical landing capable fighter jets reported to be currently under development. The Type 002 Class is the heaviest and most capable class of Chinese carrier, and the only class in the world other than the U.S. Navy’s Gerald Ford Class which integrates and electromagnetic catapult system. This system allows the carrier to launch aircraft far more efficiently, and to deploy aircraft with far greater weights, meaning fighters can deploy with considerably more fuel and munitions than those deploying from the older Type 001 Class ships or ships equipped with steam catapult systems such as the American Nimitz Class supercarriers. Expansion of China’s carrier fleet has taken place in parallel to a massive expansion in its surface combat fleet - with destroyers currently being built at a rate unmatched worldwide and, in the case of the new Type 055 Class ships, fielding capabilities no other Navy can match.