China to Imminently Launch Fourth Aircraft Carrier - Reports

Chinese shipyards are reportedly set to launch the country’s fourth aircraft carrier - which will be the second of the 40,000 ton Type 075 Class assault carriers. Footage of the carrier under construction indicates that the warship is approaching readiness for launch, at which point it will commence sea trials. The speed of the ship’s construction, apparently not slowed by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, has been cause for considerable amazement among analysts. The first Type 075 Class ship was launched on September 25th 2019, and two more are currently under construction. The ships are of comparable size and role to the U.S. Navy’s Wasp Class and America Class platforms, which in American service can be outfitted either as carriers with F-35B and Harrier II vertical landing capable fighters or as amphibious assault ships with a complement of marines and helicopters.

The Type 075 Class is thought to be capable of carrying 20-30 aircraft including fighters, anti submarine warfare helicopters, attack helicopters and transport helicopters. A suitable fighter with vertical landing capabilities is thought to be currently under development, and would fulfil a similar role to the American F-35B. Although much lighter than China’s other two carriers the Liaoning and Shandong, they are still much heavier than all rival East Asian carrier classes such as the Japanese Izumo Class and South Korean Dokdo Class. It remains uncertain whether China’s Navy intends to purchase more than three Type 075 Class ships, or whether a more capable class of assault ship will be developed as a successor once the third platform is launched. Alongside the Type 075 carrier program China is simultaneously constructing two much heavier carriers - a pair of Type 002 Class ships - which will be the first other than the United States Navy’s new Gerald Ford Class ships to integrate an electromagnetic propulsion system. These carriers will be by far the heaviest built outside the United States, and will retain many significant advantages over the Nimitz Class ships which make up the bulk of the American fleet.