China to build four nuclear aircraft carriers to catch up with US Navy: report

Four of at least six aircraft battle groups China plans to have in the water by 2035 will be nuclear-powered, as the Asian giant tries to equal the US in naval strength, the South China Morning Post reported.

China to build four nuclear aircraft carriers to catch up with US Navy, experts say — China currently has one aircraft carrier in service – the Liaoning, commissioned in 2012 – and the Type 001A, the first carrier built in the country, which is still being tested.

China plans to build four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by 2035 and develop new carrier-based fighter jets as Beijing tries to boost its naval prowess and catch up with the powerful US Navy, a media report Wednesday quoted Chinese military experts as saying.

China currently has one aircraft carrier in service – the Liaoning, commissioned in 2012 – and the Type 001A, the first carrier built in the country, which is still being tested.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also the head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has ordered the military to modernise by 2035 and become a top-ranked fighting force by 2050.

Four of at least six aircraft battle groups China plans to have in the water by 2035 will be nuclear-powered, as the Asian giant tries to equal the US in naval strength, the South China Morning Post reported.

The experts said that after decades of trying to close the gap, the PLA Navy’s hardware might by then be closer to matching the world’s leading superpower in aircraft carrier technology – but it would still lag in real combat experience.

All of China’s new carriers were expected to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults similar to those used by the United States, the experts said.