China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier is in the news! China has built a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for a large surface warship. Is China’s military modernizing under President Xi Jinping’s leadership?
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier is not fiction anymore! China’s navy is already the world’s largest numerically, and it has been rapidly modernizing. China is adding nuclear-powered carriers to its fleet. This would be a major step in realizing its ambition for a true blue-water force capable of operating in seas far from China, sending a growing global challenge to the United States. Military experts analyzed Chinese government data and satellite images and confirmed the construction of a prototype nuclear reactor.
China’s Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers would elevate China to the elite group of top naval powers. Tongo Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC., said these Nuclear-powered carriers are currently only limited to the United States and France.
China having these will shift the power axis from the west to the east.
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: Prototype Reactor
Satellite images and Chinese government documents confirm that a land-based prototype nuclear reactor has been built in Mucheng Township, Sichuan Province. This reactor is reportedly designed for a large warship.
Satellite images from 2020 to 2023 have shown the demolition of homes and the construction of water intake infrastructure connected to the reactor site. Experts suggested that the contracts were for steam generators and turbine pumps. This indicates the project involves a pressurized water reactor with a secondary circuit and a profile consistent with naval propulsion reactors.
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Pursuit
China’s first carrier was commissioned in 2012 on a repurposed Soviet ship. It was the second carrier built in China based upon the Soviet design. Both ships were named Liaoning and Shandong. Both these ships used to work on the ski-jump launch method and have a ramp at the end that helps airplanes fly.
The third type of carrier, Fujian, was launched in 2022. It is the first to be indigenously designed and built. It employs an electromagnetic-type launch system like those developed and used by the U.S. Navy. All three carriers are conventionally powered.
There is speculation that China may begin producing two new carriers simultaneously. These carriers will be one Type 003 like the Fujian and one nuclear-powered Type 004, which has not been attempted before but China’s shipyards now can do so.
However, Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies China Power Project, had doubts about China’s next carrier being nuclear-powered. Instead, he said he would expect the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fourth carrier to focus on optimizing the existing design of the Fujian carrier with incremental improvements.
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: Strategic Implication
China is working on nuclear-powered carriers. It would significantly enhance China’s operational range and endurance at Sea. This development will help China in longer missions without refueling. This capability is shown by China’s ambition to establish a “blue-water” navy capable of operating globally, challenging US naval dominance.
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: US-China rivalry
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered defense officials to build a first-class navy and become a maritime power as part of his blueprint for the country’s rejuvenation. China’s 2019 defense white paper outlines shifting naval goals from near-sea defense to distant-sea protection missions.
China’s 2019 defense white paper outlines shifting naval goals from near-sea defense to distant-sea protection missions. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is already the world’s largest navy with more than 370 ships and submarines.
The Chinese Navy lags behind the US Navy in many respects. Among other advantages, the US currently has 11 nuclear-powered carriers, allowing it to keep multiple strike groups deployed worldwide at all times, including in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. is increasingly concerned about China’s rapid naval advancements, allowing the dragon to further reach its military operations on the globe.
China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: Conclusion
The advancements in the nuclear-powered carrier and this type of technology, reflect China’s military modernization effort under President Xi Jinping’s leadership. China Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier initiative is a strategic toward greater naval power. It influences international waters, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. As China continues to enhance its naval capabilities, the implications for global maritime security and U.S.-China relations are substantial.
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