Chinese aircraft carriers: Type 002 'Shandong', Type 003 'Fujian', Type 004

Dragonship: China builds a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier while satellites watch
by Dwayne A. Day
Monday, February 2, 2026

In the fall of 2025, China commissioned its first indigenously-designed and built aircraft carrier, Fujian, named after a Chinese province. The commissioning ceremony was photographed from overhead by Western commercial reconnaissance satellites, but of course China proudly released their own photographs of the ceremony. The conventionally powered aircraft carrier is large and impressive. Although not quite as big as the US Navy’s Nimitz-class or Ford-class carriers, Fujian sports modern equipment, such as electromagnetic catapults and arresting gear.

But even as Fujian was formally entering service after an extended period of sea trials, another large carrier was taking shape in China. It too has been photographed by commercial reconnaissance satellites, and Western amateur analysts have been keeping tabs on the progress, trying to assess its size and capabilities. They soon saw indications that this ship, unlike its predecessors, will be nuclear-powered. Satellites are a primary source of information on China’s latest naval developments.
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NMaude said:
Where in that photograph would the ship's two nuclear-reactors be located?
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Page 24 of this thread touched on this with comparison photos from US carriers. If I understood correctly the reactors and associated equipment will be placed in the two rectangular sections.
 
Tomboy said:
It's not, 004 is the odd one out. It uses straight wall and a similar hullform as US carriers unlike 003 which still had a hull based on the original Kuznetsov. So it's actually the first completely cleansheet Chinese carrier.
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I was under the impression that 003 was the first clean-sheet design.
 
So when will we start to see an all Chinese carrier that is one without being influenced by the Russians?
 
Type 004 is currently under construction so that has been a quick turn around from being influenced by Russia.
 
【实现弹弹弹自由！福建舰“一马当先”的底气何在？】 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1T...eb&vd_source=2425f76ab11741b8a952b432ea15d3ce

The Fujian ship uses a medium-voltage DC integrated power system and energy storage technology, which is really efficient at converting energy. This system can directly power the electromagnetic catapult, making the structure simpler and less prone to errors. On top of that, using supercapacitors solves the challenge of pulsed power supply. The supercapacitor energy storage tech on the Fujian ship charges faster and can handle pulses on its own, so it doesn’t put a strain on the main engines.
That’s why the Fujian ship can go with an electromagnetic catapult.
 
SUPER=BUG said:
【实现弹弹弹自由！福建舰“一马当先”的底气何在？】 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1T...eb&vd_source=2425f76ab11741b8a952b432ea15d3ce

The Fujian ship uses a medium-voltage DC integrated power system and energy storage technology, which is really efficient at converting energy. This system can directly power the electromagnetic catapult, making the structure simpler and less prone to errors. On top of that, using supercapacitors solves the challenge of pulsed power supply. The supercapacitor energy storage tech on the Fujian ship charges faster and can handle pulses on its own, so it doesn’t put a strain on the main engines.
That’s why the Fujian ship can go with an electromagnetic catapult.
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Except you need 400hz AC for the radars.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Except you need 400hz AC for the radars.
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It is possible to deliver medium-voltage DC power to the electrical ports and then convert it into the required AC power using power semiconductors for inversion—this is not a problem. Overall, thanks to an integrated power system, Chinese warships do not face the same power generation issues as U.S. Navy ships.
 
SUPER=BUG said:
It is possible to deliver medium-voltage DC power to the electrical ports and then convert it into the required AC power using power semiconductors for inversion—this is not a problem. Overall, thanks to an integrated power system, Chinese warships do not face the same power generation issues as U.S. Navy ships.
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I admit I'm more used to motor-generator sets than solid state inverters, but those would probably work just as well.
 
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The J15T is in the hangar. For comparison.

Coincidentally, the official announcement of the J15T catapult happened to be on September 22. On September 22, 1974, the F14 officially entered service as a legendary generation of carrier-based aircraft, and similarly, on September 22, 2006, the F14 officially retired.
 
Is a Flanker really that much bigger than a Tomcat, or is the Kuznetzov/Type 003 hangar a good bit shorter than a Nimitz-class?
 

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