China appears to be making progress on its fourth aircraft carrier, the Type 004, at a major shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province, according to commercial satellite imagery, although the government has not officially confirmed the project.

Images shared on Chinese social media show new hull sections at the shipyard in late September, which were not visible in earlier photographs from August.

Observers note that some hull sections believed to be for the Type 004 were first spotted at the same site in May 2024. The Dalian shipyard previously constructed China’s first two carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, and has been under close surveillance by military analysts tracking progress.

The Type 004 is expected to follow China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is nearing the completion of sea trials in the South China Sea and is anticipated to enter service soon.

The Fujian, built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, is the first carrier to be fully designed and constructed in China. It has been built using modular techniques and features an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and arrested landing technology, enabling it to deploy heavier and more advanced aircraft.

China currently operates two other carriers: the Liaoning, commissioned in 2012 and originally built for the Soviet Navy, and the Shandong, commissioned in 2019 as China’s first indigenously built carrier.

Video Credits: CGTN/YouTube

The Fujian is distinguished as the most advanced of the fleet and has reportedly completed catapult-assisted take-off and arrested landing trials for its carrier-based aircraft, including the J-15T, J-35, and KongJing-600.

There is speculation that the Type 004 could be powered by nuclear propulsion, which would extend its operational range, endurance, and power for advanced systems. Like the Fujian, it is expected to include EMALS and arrested landing systems, enhancing its ability to operate heavier aircraft.

China’s Ministry of National Defence has not confirmed the Type 004, stating that development and construction will proceed according to national security requirements and the progress of technology.

The political commissar of the People’s Liberation Army Navy has indicated that there are no technological barriers in China’s aircraft carrier programme and that it will be revealed in due course whether the fourth carrier will be nuclear-powered.

The Type 004 carrier is being developed as the U.S. works on its delayed Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, the USS John F. Kennedy, now expected in 2027, and the USS Enterprise, due no earlier than 2030.

Satellite images of China’s Dalian shipyard show J-15 fighter jets and Z-8 helicopters, suggesting these aircraft will operate from the new carrier.

Reference: SCMP