China’s Fourth Aircraft Carrier: Is It Nuclear-Powered?
As early as 2023, reports began surfacing about China constructing its fourth aircraft carrier, rumored to be nuclear-powered. This news sparked widespread interest and speculation, but many experts and analysts remained skeptical. Critics pointed out that achieving nuclear propulsion for an aircraft carrier was an enormous technological leap, one that even the United States took decades to master.
Historically, the U.S. Navy transitioned from its first conventional aircraft carrier to its first nuclear-powered carrier over a span of nearly 40 years. In contrast, China’s aircraft carrier development only began in earnest in the early 2000s. The country launched its first domestically-built carrier, the Shandong, in 2019, following the Liaoning, which was originally a Soviet vessel acquired and refurbished by China. With less than two decades of experience in carrier development, many doubted whether China had the capability to design and build a nuclear-powered carrier so soon.
However, in the first half of 2024, a major breakthrough occurred. Satellite images revealed that the main structure of China’s rumored Type 004 aircraft carrier had been largely completed. This visual evidence reignited debates within military circles. Analysts scrutinized the images and estimated that the new warship could have a displacement of up to 115,000 tons—a figure that would make it even larger than the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers, which are currently the most advanced carriers in the world.
Despite this significant development, doubts persisted. Some experts remained unconvinced that the new carrier was nuclear-powered. They argued that while China had made impressive strides in aircraft carrier technology, nuclear propulsion required a level of sophistication that China might not yet have attained.
By the end of 2024, new reports added fuel to the speculation. American media sources claimed that China was actively developing a test device for ship-based nuclear reactors. This revelation suggested that China was, at the very least, experimenting with the technology required for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The existence of such a testing system indicated that even if the Type 004 itself was not nuclear-powered, China was laying the groundwork for future nuclear carrier development.
Around the same time, additional evidence surfaced from within China. A Chinese shipyard inadvertently leaked images of a scaled model of an aircraft carrier. Military analysts were quick to notice a striking detail: the model had no visible chimney or exhaust structure. This was a crucial indicator, as all conventionally powered aircraft carriers require smokestacks to vent emissions from their fuel-burning engines. The absence of such a feature strongly suggested that the model represented a nuclear-powered design.
These developments have fueled ongoing speculation and debate. If China has indeed managed to build or is on the verge of building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it would mark a monumental shift in global naval power. Such a carrier would grant China’s navy extended operational range, greater endurance, and increased strategic capabilities, placing it on par with the U.S. in terms of blue-water naval projection.
While official confirmation from Chinese authorities remains elusive, the available evidence points toward a significant leap in naval technology. Whether the Type 004 is fully nuclear-powered or a stepping stone toward future nuclear carriers, one thing is clear: China’s aircraft carrier program is evolving at an astonishing pace, reshaping the balance of maritime power in the Indo-Pacific region.
