China is reportedly building its fourth aircraft carrier even as it is set to launch the third one called Fujian which has completed its sea trials.
The building of the fourth aircraft carrier is under progress at a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday posting the satellite images of the hull.
China, which was the last among the major countries to opt for the aircraft carriers for its navy, currently has two of them, the Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 and Shandong, an indigenously built second aircraft carrier operationalised in 2019.
The third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which has been successfully conducting tests and training will be commissioned soon, Chinese military spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said last month.
He said that carrier-based aircraft J-15T, J-35 and KongJing-600 have successfully completed catapult-assisted take-off and arrested landing training aboard the Fujian aircraft carrier.
Fujian is stated to be the most advanced aircraft carrier possessing an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) used by the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
All the three carriers are conventionally powered.
The fourth carrier, however, could be powered by nuclear propulsion, which would increase its endurance and global reach and provide significantly more power to run advanced systems, the Post report said.
Like Fujian, it may also include EMALS launch and arrested landing systems, it said.
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Analysts say with tensions on the rise with the US, China may build more aircraft carriers to operate in various global maritime routes.
The building of the fourth aircraft carrier is under progress at a shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday posting the satellite images of the hull.
China, which was the last among the major countries to opt for the aircraft carriers for its navy, currently has two of them, the Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 and Shandong, an indigenously built second aircraft carrier operationalised in 2019.
The third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which has been successfully conducting tests and training will be commissioned soon, Chinese military spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said last month.
He said that carrier-based aircraft J-15T, J-35 and KongJing-600 have successfully completed catapult-assisted take-off and arrested landing training aboard the Fujian aircraft carrier.
Fujian is stated to be the most advanced aircraft carrier possessing an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) used by the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
All the three carriers are conventionally powered.
The fourth carrier, however, could be powered by nuclear propulsion, which would increase its endurance and global reach and provide significantly more power to run advanced systems, the Post report said.
Like Fujian, it may also include EMALS launch and arrested landing systems, it said.
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