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

ety said:
How many 004 are they going to build ? 1 or 2 ?
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The successor of the Type 004 gonna be the Type 005.

I guess the Type 005 will be more further improved from the Type 004, maybe its improvement might not be as much as the Type 004 from the Type 003.
 
ChineseTiger1986 said:
The successor of the Type 004 gonna be the Type 005.

I guess the Type 005 will be more further improved from the Type 004, maybe its improvement might not be as much as the Type 004 from the Type 003.
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So, only 1 004 will be built ? It's not cost-effective for management.
 
yusheng said:
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Great view of the aerofoil profile of the KJ-600 in that pic with it's wings folded.
Any chance the KJ-600 platform (does it have its own name or designation?) can be used as a carrier based refueling platform? The US carriers need a large number of aerial refuellers located across a wide network of land bases to support their operations, that's always been the weak point of long endurance, carrier-based force projection. Are there any plans by the PLAN to adopt a similar approach? Maybe the reef island bases?
 
Corax said:
Great view of the aerofoil profile of the KJ-600 in that pic with it's wings folded.
Any chance the KJ-600 platform (does it have its own name or designation?) can be used as a carrier based refueling platform? The US carriers need a large number of aerial refuellers located across a wide network of land bases to support their operations, that's always been the weak point of long endurance, carrier-based force projection. Are there any plans by the PLAN to adopt a similar approach? Maybe the reef island bases?
Click to expand...

The KJ-600 will not serve as a tanker aircraft. Reasons:

  1. In peacetime, a single aircraft carrier is typically equipped with 3 to 4 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft, which is sufficient for regional situational awareness.
  2. In wartime, if a regional naval engagement cannot be concluded within 8 hours, then according to Chinese naval doctrine, you have effectively already lost.
  3. At present, the operating areas of China's aircraft carriers are covered by land-based AEW aircraft, supplemented by forward-deployed sea-based radars and satellite support. Therefore, unilaterally extending the endurance of a single aircraft is not a particularly urgent requirement.
  4. I have heard that an unmanned tanker aircraft is under development and is expected to emerge within the next year or two.but it would increase the operational and maintenance burden, so this option will certainly be weighed very carefully.
In summary, modern warfare emphasizes timeliness and speed, and the principle of "swift victory" is also one of Sun Tzu's tenets in The Art of War.
 
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Via DaTang cavalry/SDF:

„The image circulating online appears to be the bow module of the 004."

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China accelerates construction of its next-generation Type 004 aircraft carrier​

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Construction of China’s future Type 004 aircraft carrier continues to advance at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC), with the latest open-source imagery indicating that the vessel’s bow section has now been installed. The development provides another indication that work on the new carrier is progressing at a rapid pace.

Construcción del portaaviones Tipo 004 - ChinaThis was the state of construction of the aircraft carrier in January 2026. The installation of the bow module signifies remarkable progress towards the completion of the future Type 004.

The installation of the bow module represents another step toward assembling the carrier’s overall structure. In July, reports indicated that DSIC had already received several large prefabricated sections intended for the new warship. Open-source analysts, including Rupprecht Deino, subsequently identified additional major components at the shipyard that were potentially associated with the vessel’s future flight deck.

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The construction of the Type 004 has attracted considerable attention not only because of the capabilities the carrier could eventually provide to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), but also because of what its construction rate reveals about China’s expanding shipbuilding capacity.

The pace at which Chinese shipyards are producing increasingly sophisticated naval vessels has become an important element of Beijing’s broader maritime ambitions. For the PLAN, a larger and more capable carrier fleet would provide additional options for sustained operations farther from China’s coastline and support the country’s growing naval presence beyond East Asia.

The industrial dimension is equally significant when compared with the United States. Washington has repeatedly acknowledged the widening gap between Chinese and American shipbuilding capacity, while delays, cost overruns and difficulties affecting several U.S. naval programs have highlighted weaknesses in the American industrial base. The Trump administration has consequently made rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding capacity a strategic priority.

Fujian begins another deployment​

While construction of the Type 004 continues at Dalian, China’s newest operational carrier, the Fujian, has returned to sea. Recent imagery showed the carrier operating approximately 97 kilometers south of Yulin Naval Base, accompanied by two Type 052D destroyers. The formation was identified through satellite imagery released the previous day, providing another indication that the Fujian is entering a new phase of operational activity.

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The carrier’s most recent deployments have included a passage through the Taiwan Strait, where its movements were closely monitored by Taiwan’s air and naval forces. The Fujian subsequently returned to port in late June, docking at Yulin Naval Base before beginning its latest deployment.

The simultaneous progress of the Type 004 and the continued operational activity of the Fujian highlight the two parallel tracks of China’s carrier program: expanding the future fleet while increasing the operational experience of its newest carrier.

www.zona-militar.com

China accelerates construction of its next-generation Type 004 aircraft carrier

Construction of China’s future Type 004 aircraft carrier continues to advance at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC), with the latest open-source
www.zona-militar.com www.zona-militar.com
 
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