Leaked photos reveal China’s new aircraft carrier to rival the US

Found on TikTok, new photos show China is moving at a startling pace when it comes to its master plan to combat the US and Australia.

New photos reveal the startling pace at which China’s latest aircraft carrier is being built. And it’s likely to be a match for anything the United States can pit against it.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is on the brink of joining the big league.

It’s been learning the complex craft of operating aircraft carriers with its former Soviet Union Liaoning, and its recently completed Shandong.

But these are merely training vessels. They are Davids against America’s Goliaths.

Now, Beijing has a Goliath of its own and it’s entering its final phases of construction.

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A pretty good estimate of the flight deck layout for Type 003 CATOBAR CV once completed overlaid on the current stage of construction.https://t.co/cUvQ6o9f5Jpic.twitter.com/vm8wUOUxkE

— Alex Luck (@AlexLuck9) June 2, 2021

It’s big – just a handful of metres shorter than the trouble-prone next-generation US supercarrier, the USS Ford.

It’s capable – large numbers of combat aircraft can be slung into the air by catapults.

And it’s rapidly approaching launch.

Simply designated “Type 003”, the new aircraft carrier looks to be in a similar league to the Nimitz class giants currently operated by the US Navy.

Work began amid much speculation in 2018. Since then, analysts and internet ‘open source’ aficionados have been pouring over every fuzzy new satellite photo and combing social media in search of new clues.

Last week, several new images hit social media. Most of the original posts were quickly censored by Chinese authorities – but not before they had been copied and saved.

And they prove the ship is on track to be launched next year, with a likely operational date as soon as 2024.

This photo, removed shortly after it was uploaded to TikTok, reveals the stern-port (back left) quarter of the Type 003 currently under construction in China. Visible is the large overhang of the angled flight-deck and sponsons (extensions) that will likely carry landing aids and defensive equipment. Picture: TikTok

Up close and personal

Several aerial images show the Type 003’s hull taking on its final form. It’s no longer just the simple bullet-like outline of a ship’s hull. The large overhangs that shape a supercarrier’s flight deck are in place.

And that reveals a lot about the new warship’s capabilities.

But also among the photos were a few taken alongside and on Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard construction dock itself.

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I must admit I'm surprised where images of the Type 003 carrier can be found, but Tik Tok was not a place I expected. 😳

Even if quite blurry it is so far the best image showing China's third aircraft carrier so close ...

(Image via TikTok/常来常往, however already deleted) pic.twitter.com/4UNsLqxJ7K

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) June 3, 2021

Between them, the pictures are painting a clearer picture of exactly what Type 003 can do.

It appears to have two large, side-mounted aircraft elevators on the starboard (right) side. Its US Navy Nimitz-class counterparts have four (three to starboard, one to port). The latest USS Ford has three (though they are larger and faster).

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All expected 3 elevators, but the fact is only 2 elevators base on latest image today. #PLANpic.twitter.com/ChNjvdLxRi

— 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) June 3, 2021

Based on imputations from satellite imagery, Type 003 looks to be about 325m long and up to 80m wide. The new USS Ford is 337m long and 78m wide.

US Navy supercarriers weigh in excess of 100,000 tonnes. Speculation is that Type 003 will fall just short of this, at about 90,000 tonnes.

Type 003 carrier will reach a major construction milestone soon. Island is expected to place onto the flight deck in the next couple months.
(Images via 谈笑看世间） pic.twitter.com/Fh2GoWCc9x

— 彩云香江 (@louischeung_hk) June 6, 2021

Indications are it will be fitted with catapults (Chinese state-run media reports them to be advanced electromagnetic devices in the same league as USS Ford) with two on the bow and one on the port (left) overhang.

This is significant. Unlike its predecessors which have simple ski-ramps, the Type 003 will be able to rapidly launch combat aircraft carrying full fuel and weapon loads. China’s J-15 “Flying Shark” seagoing fighter is too heavy to do this from the likes of Liaoning and Shandong.

China’s most recent ‘small’ aircraft carrier, the Shandong, undergoing trials at sea. Picture: Xinhua

They will also enable the deployment of other types of aircraft, such as propeller-driven KJ-600 airborne radar carriers.

Fighting form

An aircraft carrier is only as good as the aircraft it carries. And this is as true for the Type 003 as it is the USS Ford.

Which is why much interest has been shown in the evolution of China’s J-15 “Flying Shark”.

Derived from the Russian Su-33, it has canards (small wings near the nose), a strengthened frame and undercarriage, an arrester hook and upgraded engines to enable it to operate at sea.

It is roughly in the same category as the US F/A-18 “Super Hornet”.

But the aircraft is not without controversy.

Several pilots have been killed trying to land and takeoff in the large, heavy multirole fighter from the small training carrier Liaoning. Many analysts pointed out how photos of its test flights showed it carrying only a token load of missiles and stores.

But the rapid completion of the Type 003 indicates this may have been an effort to fast-track the aircraft’s development for immediate use aboard it and other similarly large supercarriers.

“The J-15 is a credible multirole fighter, with mature fourth generation air-to-air capability primarily enabled by its active radar homing BVRAAMs (Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles), and a credible standoff strike and anti-ship capability,” aviation analyst Rick Joe writes for The Diplomat.

“The J-15 program remains very active, with multiple variants under development and a likely healthy production run on the horizon. In the future, the Chinese navy’s selection of the J-15 as its first ever carrier-borne fighter aircraft will likely be seen as a prescient decision.

Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @JamieSeidel