Over the past few weeks there has been some buzz in military news channels about China coming close to launching its FOURTH aircraft carrier the nuclear powered Type 4 aircraft carrier weighing 120,000 tons, with a length of almost 1,100 feet. This will be the largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever built in the history of the world.
China has achieved this in just under 20 years.
In 2012 the Chinese Navy commissioned their first aircraft carrier the Liaoning at 70,000 tons and 1000 feet in length. The Liaoning was a refurbished Soviet carrier previously known as the Kuznetsov.
Seven years later in 2019 they commissioned the Shandong also at 70,000 tons and 1,000 feet in length. The Shandong's hull and flight deck was a duplicate of the Liaoning.
Then this year they have commissioned the Fujian at 80,000 tons and 1,050 feet in length. The Fujian is completely designed in China and has unique features like EMALS (electro-magnetic launch system) whereby a "magnetic rail-gun" type thing hooks onto the aircraft and speeds it down the flight deck and into the air.
And now China is close to launching (possibly 2027) its FOURTH aircraft carrier the Type 004 which is going to be a super giant at 120,000 tons and almost 1,066 feet. This will be a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. After launching it may still take a year or two for the carrier to be commissioned for combat patrol.
If you notice China has been commissioning its carriers approximately seven years apart. This gives them sufficient time to design, build, test and commission all the systems that make the aircraft carriers work. From the hull, engine and propulsion, the flight deck, the launch system, the "island" control tower, radar, sonar and electronics and the carriers own weapons systems. Plus a few thousand specially trained crew to operate the whole thing.
Also when the carrier sails it will be accompanied by a group of ships which must include the Type 055B destroyer, the Type 052D frigate and the Type 093 nuclear submarine. The 13,000 ton Chinese Type 055B destroyer is the most powerful warship in the world. Period. It can even blow that aircraft carrier out of the water. The Type 052D frigate provides air cover for the carrier. The Type 093 submarine will detect underwater and surface threats.
The new Type 004 carrier will likely have railguns, laser weapons and operate unmanned combat aircraft (UCAVs). It will carry about 90 aircraft including China's latest stealth jets.
It is likely that China will build a few more of these giant carriers. Here is brief video.
