Photos of China's new aircraft carrier are leaking, and they appear to show a modern flattop in the making

[TR_123456]

China commissioned its first carrier, the Liaoning, in 2012. Stringer via Reuters

China's third aircraft carrier, which is expected to be the country's first modern flattop, is starting to take shape at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, new images that have steadily been leaking online appear to show.

Before 2012, China did not have any aircraft carriers, but over the years, it has managed to develop a modest carrier capability.

The Liaoning. REUTERS/Stringer

China's People's Liberation Army Navy has two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong.

The country built the first from the refitted hull of an old Soviet vessel. The second, which was China's first indigenously produced aircraft carrier, was a larger, slightly improved copy of the Liaoning.

Photos of China's new aircraft carrier are leaking, and they appear to show a modern flattop in the making

China's latest aircraft carrier "is not a US carrier, as things are today," one expert told Insider, "but it's still a huge step."

www.businessinsider.com