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China’s New Aircraft Carrier Sparks Interest Amid Naval Expansion

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Recent satellite imagery indicates that China is constructing a new and unusual type of aircraft carrier at Guangzhou Shipyard International on Longxue Island in Guangdong province. This vessel, which features a large, open flat top, has caught the attention of military experts due to its atypical design and smaller size compared to China’s existing naval carriers.

Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submarine commander and fellow at the Center for a New American Security, remarked that this potential new aircraft carrier is “somewhat unusual” in shape and size, making it smaller than the Type 075 amphibious assault ships currently in service. Shugart speculated that it may be the world’s first “ostensibly civilian ‘aircraft carrier’ used as an oceanographic research vessel.”

The report about this new vessel first emerged from The War Zone, which highlighted China’s accelerating production of advanced warships, often rivaling U.S. carrier technology. Earlier this year, China’s most formidable aircraft carrier to date, the Fujian, underwent sea trials, with expectations that it could be operational by 2026. The Fujian, displacing 80,000 tons, surpasses the PLAN’s existing carriers, the 66,000-ton Shandong and the 60,000-ton Liaoning, placing it alongside the supercarriers operated solely by the U.S. Navy.

In addition to these developments, China is also making strides in constructing the world’s largest amphibious assault ship, the Type 076, which features an expansive flight deck comparable to the area of three U.S. football fields. This rapid naval expansion has propelled China’s fleet to over 340 warships, making it the largest navy globally.

The construction of this new aircraft carrier-type vessel may reflect China’s broader “military-civil fusion strategy,” which aims to integrate civilian and military capabilities. Shugart noted that such a vessel could enhance the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s operational and logistical capabilities, particularly in low-threat environments.

Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, suggested that the vessel could serve as a helicopter or drone carrier for the China Coast Guard, which increasingly acts as a quasi-military force. This new capability would enhance the Coast Guard’s surveillance operations in distant waters, particularly in the South China Sea and near Taiwan.

China’s military presence around Taiwan has intensified, with recent large-scale drills demonstrating unprecedented involvement from Coast Guard vessels in the region. Schuster remarked that the new vessel could significantly support Coast Guard operations, especially in quarantine enforcement.

Beyond military applications, the vessel could also play a role in humanitarian efforts, facilitating rapid relief and evacuation in non-combat situations or serving as a logistics support ship in amphibious operations.

Additionally, in a display of its growing naval capabilities, the Liaoning and Shandong carriers recently conducted their first-ever dual-carrier exercise in the South China Sea. This operation, described by state-run Xinhua news service, involved coordinated movements of fighter jets and support ships, aiming to enhance the combat capabilities of China’s aircraft carrier formations.

Experts believe that the collaboration between the Liaoning and Shandong carriers demonstrates the PLA Navy’s increasing complexity and coordination, potentially enabling more sophisticated fleet operations in the future.

 

Former Soviet Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire During Renovation in China

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A former Soviet aircraft carrier, the Minsk, caught fire over the weekend while undergoing renovations in a lagoon near Shanghai, China. The blaze, which broke out on Friday afternoon, raged for about 24 hours before being extinguished, leaving extensive damage to the ship. The Minsk, once a formidable part of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, had been converted into a Chinese tourist attraction and was anchored in Nantong, Jiangsu province, for the past eight years.

The carrier was in the process of being refurbished to become the centerpiece of a military theme park when the fire erupted. Images circulating on social media depicted thick smoke and flames engulfing the deck, with later photos revealing significant damage to the ship’s superstructure and charred metal along its side. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, and authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.

The Minsk, built between 1970 and 1987 as one of four Kiev-class aircraft carriers by the Soviet Union, was a key asset of the Soviet Pacific Fleet until the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991. After being decommissioned in 1993, the ship was sold to a South Korean company for scrap. However, environmental concerns in South Korea led to the Minsk being sold to a Chinese company, eventually finding a new life as a tourist attraction at the Minsk World theme park in Shenzhen, which operated from 2000 until its closure in 2016 due to financial difficulties.

The recent fire has cast doubt on the future of the Minsk as a tourist attraction, with officials expressing uncertainty about the project’s prospects following the extensive damage. The ship’s history as part of the once-mighty Soviet fleet, coupled with its journey from a warship to a theme park centerpiece, highlights the complex legacy of decommissioned military vessels.

Of the four Kiev-class carriers constructed by the Soviets, only the last one, the Baku, remains in service today. After being sold to India in 2004, it was refurbished and commissioned into the Indian Navy as the INS Vikramaditya in 2013, where it now serves as the navy’s flagship. The fate of the Minsk and its future as a tourist attraction remains uncertain in the wake of this recent disaster.