Defence
Launch Of China's Third Aircraft Carrier Delayed For Unknown Reason: Report
- Type 003, China's second domestically built carrier, is not only its largest but also represents a major technological leap for the Chinese Navy.
Satellite imagery from 31 May. (Maxar/CSIS)
The launch of China's third aircraft carrier, called Type 003, has been delayed for an unexplained reason, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has reported. Earlier, the newspaper had said that the launch of the aircraft carrier was likely on 3 June (Friday), which coincided with the ancient Dragon Boat Festival and the 157th anniversary of the founding of Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, where the carrier is under construction.
The report cites two independent sources close to the Chinese military who believe that the launch of the carrier, China's largest and most advanced so far, may have been postponed due to technical challenges related to the next phase of the construction of the warship.
However, satellite imagery experts have pointed out that the dry dock at Jiangnan Shipyard has been cleared in recent days, opening a path for the aircraft carrier to enter the Yangtze River.
Type 003, which has been under construction since 2018, is China's second indigenous aircraft carrier. The carrier is not only larger than its predecessors but also represents a major technological leap for China and will significantly upgrade the power projection capabilities of the PLAN, now the largest Navy in the world in terms of the number of vessels.
Among other upgrades over older Chinese carriers, Type 003 has a flat-top flight deck equipped with a catapult assisted take off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system to operate aircraft. CATOBAR is expensive and complex, but it offers a significant advantage over STOBAR — the ability to launch aircraft at maximum take off weight and a full payload.
The 65,000 tonnes warship could be launched by China in the coming days or weeks, but it is still years away from being an operational carrier. After the launch, the vessel will be outfitted with weapon systems and sensors and undergo extensive testing, which will take years.
In 2020, an unclassified report from the Office of Naval Intelligence of the US Navy said the Chinese aircraft carrier could be commissioned as early as 2024. However, due to some delays in the launch of the carrier, this assessment may no longer hold true.
China has been on an aircraft carrier building spree over the last decade. Just ten years ago, it did not have any carriers. China's first carrier, built from the refitted hull of an old Soviet-era vessel, entered service in 2012. In 2019, China commissioned its first indigenous aircraft carrier, a larger and slightly improved copy of its first carrier.
In comparison, India started building its first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant, in 2009. After years of delay, the warship will be commissioned into the Indian Navy on 15 August this year.
Over the next decade, China plans to build a fleet of nuclear-powered supercarriers like those operated by the US Navy. With such carriers, the PLAN will be able to project power in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, far away from the East and South China seas.
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