The Type 004 aircraft carrier is a planned
aircraft carrier of the
People's Liberation Army Navy's
aircraft carrier programme. It is intended to be an iteration on the preceding
Type 003 aircraft carrier
''Fujian'' (18; ), named after Fujian province, is the first of the Type 003 class aircraft carrier (NATO/ OSD Fujian-class CV), and is currently fitting out. Built for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), ''Fujian'' was launched on 17 J ...
, and like the Type 003, it will feature an
integrated electric propulsion
Integrated electric propulsion (IEP) or full electric propulsion (FEP) or integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) is an arrangement of marine propulsion systems such that gas turbines or diesel generators or both generate three-phase electr ...
system that will allow the operation of
electromagnetic launch catapults.
Unlike the conventionally-powered Type 003, the Type 004 will be larger and also the first Chinese carrier to feature
nuclear marine propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship or submarine with heat provided by a nuclear reactor. The power plant heats water to produce steam for a turbine used to turn the ship's propeller through a gearbox or through an electric generato ...
,
and could generate enough electricity to power
laser weapon
A laser weapon is a directed-energy weapon based on lasers. After decades of R&D, directed-energy weapons including lasers are still at the experimental stage and it remains to be seen if or when they will be deployed as practical, high-perf ...
s and
railgun
A railgun or rail gun is a linear motor device, typically designed as a weapon, that uses electromagnetic force to launch high velocity projectiles. The projectile normally does not contain explosives, instead relying on the projectile's high ...
s currently under development.
, China hoped to complete this carrier by the late 2020s, and indicated that up to four might be built.
Development
Research
In 2017, China's central government was reportedly ready to spend RMB 22 billion (US$3.3 billion) on the development of two prototype
molten salt nuclear reactors to be built at Wuwei in
Gansu province. The goal then was to have the reactors operational by 2020. The
PLA Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army.
The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chines ...
is interested in the technology to power its warships and aircraft carriers.
Construction
In late 2017, 1600-ton gantry cranes were installed in
Jiangnan Shipyard
Jiangnan Shipyard () is a historic shipyard in Shanghai, China. The shipyard has been state-owned since its founding in 1865 and is now operated as Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd.
Before 2009, the company was south of central Shanghai at ...
, prompting speculation that the aircraft carrier would be built there.
Later, in March 2018, a leak by shipbuilder
China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation
The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) was one of the two largest shipbuilding conglomerates in China, the other was the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It was formed by the Government of the People's Republic of Chin ...
, the owner of Dalian Shipyard, suggested that the nuclear-powered Type 004 aircraft carrier would be part of its portfolio as well.
In April 2018, ''news.com.au'', an Australian tabloid claimed that metal cutting for the Type 004 began back in December 2017.
Aircraft complement
The Type 004 would likely carry a complement of
J-15 and
J-31 fighters,
Xian KJ-600
The Xi'an KJ-600 is a Chinese counter-rotating propellers, twin-propeller, vertical stabilizer#Quad tail, quad-tail, high-wing military aircraft designed for cargo aircraft, cargo and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), intended to be de ...
airborne early warning and control aircraft,
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
aircraft of the
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF; ) is the naval aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army Navy.
Overview
Historically, the PLANAF's main role has been to provide the navy's warships with air defense coverage. Part of ...
, and stealth attack drones.
It was previously suggested that the aircraft carrier could carry
J-20 aircraft.
However, in a programme on
China Central Television, PLA Navy Rear Admiral
Zhang Zhaozhong dismissed the possibility that the aircraft would be used on aircraft carriers as the aircraft was not structurally designed to cope with carrier operations.
In addition, it does not have
folding wing
A folding wing is a wing configuration design feature of aircraft to save space and is typical of carrier-based aircraft that operate from the limited deck space of aircraft carriers. The folding allows the aircraft to occupy less space in a con ...
s for compact storage, and its stealth coating would be susceptible to degradation while at sea.
See also
*
Chinese aircraft carrier programme
References
{{Ship classes of the Chinese Navy , state = uncollapsed
Aircraft carriers of the People's Liberation Army Navy
Proposed ships