Chinese Aircraft Carriers - Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian and the future

[Deino]

Via 00CuriousObserver/SDF:

„Fujian allegedly returned to port yesterday with some planes on board.“

 

[Michael]

Official News:
AVIC First Aircraft Design and Research Institute.
The KJ-600's first catapult takeoff and arrested landing is scheduled for March 2025.

=========================================
Official News Link:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2QPL96EYpp_t7YmTy-QaKA

 

[Hendarto]

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According to the First Aircraft Design Institute, the first launch and landing of the KJ-600 AEW&C from an electromagnetic catapult took place in March 2025. As expected, the initial launch and landing tests were conducted during the seventh sea trial, approximately six months before the official report.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

“nuclear reactors + gas turbines to power up the EMALS more efficiently”.

Any indication which gas turbines? CGT-40? If it’s the CGT-40, which is supposedly used on the Type 076, than it give another platform to perfect the gas turbine, almost certainly interned for the next generation follow ons to the Type 052D and Type 055, and possibly even the next variant of the Type 054 family; a new Type 054C with a 42 MW gas turbine; a world class blue water ASW frigate, and an 8000 ton follow (similar size to the Royal navy’s Type 26 with one 40 MW gas turbine or the Type 45 at 8500 tons with 2 x 21.5 MW gas turbines)

on to the Type 052D could be qualitative upgrade to the design if powered by a single .

This gas turbine would be similar to the Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbine, which has many applications, including the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier:

Rolls-Royce MT30 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

P.s. this new design could also lead to a modification of the Stobar carriers; separating the funnel from the command facilities.

Allowing for retrofitting larger elevators, and allowing the operation of the KJ-600.

Fujian uses the CGT-25 to power its EMALS, while the Type 004/005 gonna use the upgraded CGT-40.

The Type 004/005 gonna use the next-gen molten salt reactors, while Fujian's propulsion was powered by the less powerful SSBN reactors.

However, China wants to keep thing in low profile, just pretend that Fujian is a normal conventional powered aircraft carrier.

Fujian is a test platform for both Type 004/005.

 

[Hendarto]

Come on, give it up. There is no reactor in Fujian. It is a conventional Boiler, judging by the smoke. Gas turbine exhaust gas is hotter and emits little smoke, except during startup. There is nothing wrong with a conventional boiler

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Come on, give it up. There is no reactor in Fujian. It is a conventional Boiler, judging by the smoke. Gas turbine exhaust gas is hotter and emits little smoke, except during startup. There is nothing wrong with a conventional boiler

Gas turbine can also emit a lot of black smoke, and you see it from the carriers from UK and Japan.

The problem is that both Type 004/005 also carry an exhaust port like Fujian.

Do you think these two 120K tonnes supercarriers also gonna use those obsolete/underpowered boilers?

China is developing the J-36 with 3 engines as its frontrunner 6th gen aircraft, and this shows that China no longer imitating the US model anymore.

 

[FuturePAF]

Fujian uses the CGT-25 to power its EMALS, while the Type 004/005 gonna use the upgraded CGT-40.

The Type 004/005 gonna use the next-gen molten salt reactors, while Fujian's propulsion was powered by the less powerful SSBN reactors.

However, China wants to keep thing in low profile, just pretend that Fujian is a normal conventional powered aircraft carrier.

Fujian is a test platform for both Type 004/005.

Wow. It’s possible the Fujian could be operating around a dozen of 75 MW nuclear reactors (used on the Type 093/094) to power those EMCATs. People were surprised those power hungry systems could be operated with just the 25 MW gas turbines. I guess we won’t know unless China declares it openly.

The old USN CVN-65 Enterprise had 8 (150 mw A2A reactors) plus 4 steam turbines to push that 94,000 ton ship , so it would not be surprising if what you say is true.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Wow. It’s possible the Fujian could be operating around a dozen of 75 MW nuclear reactors (used on the Type 093/094) to power those EMCATs. People were surprised those power hungry systems could be operated with just the 25 MW gas turbines. I guess we won’t know unless China declares it openly.

The old USN CVN-65 Enterprise had 8 (150 mw A2A reactors) plus 4 steam turbines to push that 94,000 ton ship , so it would not be surprising if what you say is true.

China Association for Science and Technology back in May 2024 has disclosed that Fujian is a nuclear + gas turbine hybrid supercarrier.

However, the article just got deleted 1 day later.

The Type 004/005 supercarriers are going to be a larger and more refined version of Fujian. They gonna use more advanced molten salt reactors, and more powerful CGT-40 gas turbines, and it gonna displace over 120K tonnes.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Wow. It’s possible the Fujian could be operating around a dozen of 75 MW nuclear reactors (used on the Type 093/094) to power those EMCATs. People were surprised those power hungry systems could be operated with just the 25 MW gas turbines. I guess we won’t know unless China declares it openly.

The old USN CVN-65 Enterprise had 8 (150 mw A2A reactors) plus 4 steam turbines to push that 94,000 ton ship , so it would not be surprising if what you say is true.

Fujian's information plate from its shipyard.

The ship actually has a 330 meters long flight deck, and 80 meters wide. The displacement is 85,000 tonnes, it is not likely the full load displacement.

Because China's EMALS is slightly longer than the US version, that's why the number has been reduced from 4 to 3 on a 330 meter long flight deck. The elevator is also 1 less than the Ford class carrier.

Compared to the 305 meters long Shandong, Fujian does indeed look like a 330 meters long supercarrier.

 

[FuturePAF]

China Association for Science and Technology back in May 2024 has disclosed that Fujian is a nuclear + gas turbine hybrid supercarrier.

However, the article just got deleted 1 day later.

The Type 004/005 supercarriers are going to be a larger and more refined version of Fujian. They gonna use more advanced molten salt reactors, and more powerful CGT-40 gas turbines, and it gonna displace over 120K tonnes.


View attachment 153346

Why not all nuclear? Any benefit from the combined Nuclear + Gas Turbine approach?

 

[iblini]

Why not all nuclear? Any benefit from the combined Nuclear + Gas Turbine approach?

Nah, it's nuclear no doubt, hybrid is just some wild imagination.

 

[iblini]

004 superstructre CG.

 

[FuturePAF]

Nah, it's nuclear no doubt, hybrid is just some wild imagination.

So what’s with the funnel at the Wuhan carrier mockup?

 

[iblini]

So what’s with the funnel at the Wuhan carrier mockup?

It's not funnel but testing site, there are stalite image from Dalian, photo taken by passenger airliner seen reactor wall, research papers all indicating it's definitely a CVN.

 

[FuturePAF]

It's not funnel but testing site, there are stalite image from Dalian, photo taken by passenger airliner seen reactor wall, research papers all indicating it's definitely a CVN.

Will Type 004 use any Gas turbines? Is the facility at Wuhan testing two different configurations at the same time; island for the CVN and exhaust funnel for a modification of current carriers in service?