Beijing is planning to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to ‘safeguard national interests’, according to Chinese state media.
One Chinese aircraft carrier expert was quoted saying that the country has achieved a breakthrough in nuclear-powered carriers.
The same expert said the development of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is ‘very necessary’ and it could help China rival the U.S. navy in technology.
Beijing is reportedly planning a nuclear aircraft carrier. The picture, shared by Huanqiu.com, shows a possible design of the nuclear-powered carrier suggested by Chinese web users
Huanqiu.com also shared this picture to show another possible look of Beijing’s nuclear-powered carrier. The development of the carrier was mentioned in a press release this week
The U.S. has 10 active aircraft carriers – the largest fleet in the world – while its main military rivals, Russia and China, only has one active carrier each, according to a report by Reuters last year.
According to the World Nuclear Association, nuclear-powered reactors could run for up to 50 years without needing refuelling, which means nuclear-powered ships or submarines could remain at sea for long periods of time.
The Chinese nuclear-powered carrier is being planned by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, according to China’s Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People’s Daily.
The news website also shared two pictures provided by web users. The pictures show what China’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier could look like.
The rumoured developer of China’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was responsible for extensively refurbishing China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (pictured in July, 2017)
State-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corp said in an online press release on Tuesday that it would ‘accelerate the process of building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’, reported Huanqiu.com. This is the first time China has ever revealed its plan of a nuclear carrier.
The statement also claimed that the nuclear carrier is a part of Chinese navy’s plan to operate further and longer overseas by 2025.
After the news was reported by media, the company has apparently edited the original online statement. In the current version, the mention of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been omitted.
The company was responsible for extensively refurbishing China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which arrived as a mostly empty hull from Ukraine. It has also built the country’s sole domestically produced carrier, which is expected to enter service later this year. Both are conventionally fueled.
Last November, the company’s chairman and chief engineer Hu Wenming said to China’s state broadcaster that China is able to build any type of aircraft carrier now.
The U.S. Navy’s Nimitz class carriers (pictured) can operate for 20 years without refuelling
Li Jie, a Chinese aircraft carrier expert, told Huanqiu.com that the statement means China has achieved a breakthrough in the application of nuclear power on large-scale ships as normally state-run companies wouldn’t reveal such information without confidence.
Li stressed that a nuclear-powered carrier would be able to allow China to expand its overseas military presence and safeguard national interest.
A spokesperson from the World Nuclear Association said the news about China’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ‘is not a surprise’.
The spokesperson said: ‘In February 2013, China Shipbuilding Industry Corp received state approval and funding to begin research on core technologies and safety for nuclear-powered ships.
‘Polar vessels were mentioned, but it was thought that aircraft carriers would be a more likely purpose for the new development.’
The spokesperson added: ‘China has a long history of operating nuclear powered vessels. Its first nuclear powered submarine was decommissioned in 2013 after almost 40 years of service.’
The nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) surges through the water of the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. nuclear-powered carriers are currently without rivals in the world
Currently, the nuclear-powered fleet carriers owned by the U.S. are without rival in the world. U.S. nuclear carriers such as the Navy’s Nimitz class can operate for 20 years without refuelling.
China has the world’s largest navy in terms of numbers of ships, although it lags behind the U.S. in technology and combat capabilities.
It’s believed that China already has four types of nuclear submarines, namely the Type 091, 092, 093 and 094.