{"id":60679,"date":"2018-03-01T16:07:10","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T16:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/01\/china-to-develop-its-first-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:32:50","slug":"china-to-develop-its-first-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/03\/01\/china-to-develop-its-first-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier\/","title":{"rendered":"China to develop its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 One of China\u2019s largest shipbuilders has revealed plans to speed up the development of China\u2019s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier<\/a>, as part of China\u2019s ambition to transform its navy<\/a> into a blue-water force by the middle of the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a since-amended news release outlining the company\u2019s future strategic direction in all of its business areas, the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, or CSIC, said the shipbuilding group will redouble efforts to achieve technological breakthroughs in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, new nuclear-powered submarines, quieter conventionally powered submarines, underwater artificial intelligence-based combat systems and integrated networked communications systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSIC is responsible for both civilian and military shipbuilding activities in the north and the west of China.
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The company release added that these breakthroughs are required for China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, to enhance its capability to globally operate in line with the service\u2019s aim to become a networked, blue-water navy by 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original news release, which Defense News has seen and translated, has since been deleted from CSIC\u2019s website and replaced by one missing all references to the details listed above. The updated release instead merely notes that the company \u201cmust resolutely implement (Chinese President) Xi Jinping\u2019s thinking on strengthening our armed forces and take the building of a modern warfare system with Chinese characteristics as a guide to speed up breakthroughs in key core technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chinese J-15 fighter jets are launched from the deck of the Liaoning aircraft carrier during military drills in the South China Sea on Jan. 2, 2017. (STR\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CSIC was responsible for the refurbishment of China\u2019s sole operational aircraft carrier, which was originally laid down as the Soviet Union\u2019s Admiral Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag. The hulk was acquired from Ukraine in the late 1990s and entered service with the PLAN in 2012 as the Liaoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company is also building China\u2019s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, a slightly modified version of the Liaoning featuring various improvements. The ship is currently being fitted out at CSIC\u2019s shipyard in Dalian, where the Liaoning was refurbished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is also reportedly planning a larger, conventionally powered aircraft carrier that will be equipped with electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft, having previously claimed that it has made a breakthrough that will see the ship generating sufficient power to operate the power-hungry catapults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PLAN is already operating a pair of catapults \u2014 one believed to be steam-driven while the other an electromagnetic catapult<\/a> \u2014 for carrier operations training at its air base in Liaoning Province where its Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-borne fighters are based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PLAN\u2019s current aircraft carriers can only launch aircraft using ski-jumps, which restrict their ability to operate aircraft such as turboprop-powered airborne early warning aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That particular aircraft\u2019s engines are unable to generate sufficient thrust to take off from an aircraft carrier without catapults, instead relying on lower-flying helicopters fitted with radars for the carrier-borne early warning mission. This in turn limits the PLAN\u2019s carrier battle groups\u2019 effectiveness in the fleet\u2019s defense mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\t