Global Courant 2023-04-15 11:07:50
Building on the success of the Fujian aircraft carrier, China’s aircraft carrier development program is gaining momentum with the recent unveiling of its nuclear-powered supercarrier concept.
This month, The Warzone reported that China’s Jiangnan Shipyard has released concept art of what appears to be a nuclear-powered supercarrier similar to America’s Gerald Ford class and France’s Next Generation Aircraft Carrier.
While the artwork reveals few precise details, the report notes that the design features a catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) configuration.
The report says the artwork shows numerous stealth aircraft similar to the FC-31 on the carrier’s deck, hinting that the aircraft could form the backbone of this new carrier’s air wing.
China has taken a step-by-step approach to its carrier program, first learning carrier operations before moving to nuclear propulsion.
Concept art of a Chinese nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Photo: DefenseTalk/Screengrab
A 2017 Center for Strategic and International Studies commentary stated that the Liaoning and Shandong both have small fighters, with only 18-24 J-15 fighters for the Liaoning and four more jets for the Shandong. The relatively small number of fighter jets carried by both ships presents China with a dilemma between attack and defense.
Global Courant noted last August that such a small number of aircraft limits how many of the Liaoning and Shandong’s respective air wings can be used for attack or defense.
Assigning more aircraft to attack increases the vulnerability of their respective battlegroups, but assigning more aircraft to the fleet’s air defenses reduces their attack power. However, the Fujian, which can carry between 50 and 70 aircraft, could overcome those challenges.
The Fujian is also equipped with China’s version of the Electromagnetic Launch System (EMALS), which uses powerful electromagnets to launch aircraft, allowing faster launch of additional and heavier aircraft types.
These aircraft may include upgraded J-15Bs, naval versions of the J-20 and FC-31, and J-600 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft and drones.
In addition, Global Courant reported that China may be preparing to deploy the FC-31 stealth fighter and FH-97A Loyal Wingman drone from the Fujian. The carrier-based version of the FC-31, called the J-35, can be used for air supremacy missions.
At the same time, the upgraded J-15Bs perform ground and sea strikes, potentially eliminating the attack-defense dilemma associated with Liaoning and Shandong.
The J-35 can be supplemented with a carrier-based version of the FH-97A, with the land-based version optimized for air-to-air operations, featuring a front-mounted electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) and internal weapons space for six air-to-air air missiles.
Now that the dilemma between attack and defense may have been overcome, the next step in improving China’s carrier warfare capabilities will be to eliminate the range and endurance limitations associated with conventionally powered ships.
Global Courant reported last October that China’s fourth-largest airline will most likely be nuclear-powered, with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) developing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier design since February 2018 and stating that it would achieve a breakthrough in nuclear propulsion technology by 2027. have to reach.
The launch party of the Fujian aircraft carrier. Image: Twitter
At present, however, China’s nuclear propulsion technology lags far behind that of the US. South China Morning Post (SCMP) notes in an article from last June that the development of a nuclear-powered supercarrier cannot be rushed for safety and scientific reasons.
The report notes that China’s Linglong One small modular reactor, considered the most advanced model, needs to be refueled once every two or three years, compared to the reactor on a Ford-class aircraft carrier that can last half a century. to work.
Nevertheless, in the event of a disaster in Taiwan, a Chinese nuclear-powered aircraft carrier could reduce the need to break down and resupply operations, increase fighter flights, and bolster a potential blockade of Taiwan by providing a sustained presence.
Given the strategic importance of airlines, China may be aiming for a six-carrier navy, with its three fleets operating two aircraft carriers each.
In such a configuration, one carrier would be actively deployed while another would undergo maintenance, refitting and crew training.
Building such a navy may already be within China’s shipbuilding capabilities. Global Courant noted in February the tremendous production rate of China’s shipbuilding industry and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up warship design processes last month.
As of 2022, the PLA-N was the world’s largest navy with 340 ships; by comparison, the US Navy has only 280 ships. China also has 13 naval shipyards, with each facility having more capacity than all seven US naval shipyards combined.
China’s huge shipbuilding lead over the US can be partly attributed to its civil-military fusion strategy, in which the simultaneous construction of warships and civilian ships in the same shipyards keeps the shipbuilding industry running at full capacity despite economic downturns.
The fusion strategy also applies civilian mass production techniques and advanced technologies to naval shipbuilding, enabling it to continue to increase production capacity and also circumvent sanctions against its military modernization program.
In addition, China has used an AI that runs on a small computer that is said to be able to design the electrical systems of a warship in a day. This task would have taken human designers with the most advanced computer tools 300 days.
China now has more naval vessels than the US. Image: Xinhua
While building a six-carrier navy at astonishing speed is one thing, producing the required numbers of professional sailors, airmen and marines is quite another.
Given that, Edward Luttwak noted in an UnHerd article last month that a shortage of manpower has undermined the PLA-N’s spending plans.
Luttwak says this is because young and talented Chinese who can absorb high-level technical skills turn down military jobs due to low pay compared to the civilian sector and unwillingness to serve under strict military discipline and hierarchy.
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