What you need to know: China’s development of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier could soon place it among elite naval powers, joining the United States and France.

-Satellite images suggest Beijing is close to creating a prototype nuclear propulsion system for an aircraft carrier, potentially allowing the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to operate on a global scale, projecting “blue water” capabilities beyond regional waters.

-Despite this, Chinese carrier operations face logistical challenges, such as a limited number of overseas bases and supply ships, essential for sustainable global reach.

-China’s first nuclear-powered carrier could be operational by the 2030s, symbolizing significant prestige but facing practical limits.

The Chinese nuclear carrier: game changer or symbolic leap?

Currently, only two countries – the United States and France – operate nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The British Royal Navy rejected nuclear power early in the development of her class Queen Elizabeth program, arguing that several decades of fuel would cost less than a nuclear reactor.

Although the Soviet Navy sought to build a nuclear aircraft carrier, the program was abandoned with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Additionally, it has been speculated that the Soviet carrier would not have been successful to reach the capabilities of the United States. of the navy Nimitz class.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) could succeed where Moscow failed and London refused to go.

The associated press reported Monday that American researchers have confirmed that Beijing is currently developing a nuclear propulsion system that could power a large surface warship, namely an aircraft carrier. Analysis of satellite imagery from China’s 701 Institute – formerly known as the China Ship Research and Design Center – has concluded that it has already produced a land-based prototype, and all indications are that it is seeking to its next carrier will be nuclear-powered.

A nuclear-powered carrier would contribute to the PLAN’s ambitions to become a true “blue water” naval force, capable of operating at ranges beyond its regional waters.

“Nuclear-powered carriers would put China in the exclusive ranks of first-rate naval powers, a group currently limited to the United States and France,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. DC. AP. “For Chinese leaders, such a development would symbolize national prestige, fueling domestic nationalism and elevating the country’s global image as a leading power.”

New but not exactly news

Speculation about a planned Chinese nuclear-powered carrier has gone on for years, but concrete evidence remains scant. Over the past decade, Beijing was prepared to invest billions in the development of new molten salt nuclear reactorswhich could pave the way for technology to power a carrier. However, the efforts have faced delays and cost overruns.

It has already been reported that the still notional Type 004 is expected to be part of the PLAN’s continued expansion, but it almost certainly cannot be completed by the end of the decade and will not enter service until the mid-2030s. Even then, we must ask ourselves what this would lead to.

As it stands, China – unlike the United States or the British Royal Navy – has never actually used its aircraft carriers in combat operations. Like Reuters reported last yearChina’s current flattops play a “theatrical role” but currently pose little threat.

“Unlike other aspects of their military modernization, there has been something of a political theatricality to their aircraft carrier deployments so far,” Trevor Hollingsbee, a former British naval intelligence analyst, told Reuters. “Carrier operations are a very complicated game, and China has to figure it out on its own. It still has a very long way to go.”

A powerful project but with an Achilles heel

Aircraft carriers can indeed project their power around the world, which is evident since the US Navy can deploy aircraft carriers to the Middle East and the Far East simultaneously.

Likewise, the British Empire may be a thing of the past, but the Royal Navy has deployed its flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Indo-Pacific and back, a reminder to the world that Britain once ruled the waves.

Yet the carrier was able to do this because it was supported by partners and allies, while the US Navy has bases all over the world. China has far fewer partners and currently has only one overseas base. This fact would make its supply ships all the more crucial to any round-the-world voyage.

These ships provide fuel for a carrier’s escorts and its air wing – and although the PLAN is increasing its efforts to increase your fleet Among these supply ships, it still does not have many friendly ports far from its shores.

So over the next decade, Beijing may seek to establish new ports overseas so that when its first nuclear-powered carrier hits the water, it will have friendly bases to support its first deployment.

Experience and expertise of the author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer based in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published during a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly on military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing writer for Forbes and Liquidation Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can send an email to the author: (email protected).

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