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China is making steady progress in constructing what is believed to be its third aircraft carrier.1 Commercial satellite imagery collected on August 18, 2020, shows significant developments in the construction of the vessel and additional improvements to the infrastructure at Jiangnan Shipyard.
ChinaPower has tracked military developments at Jiangnan Shipyard since late 2018, and originally identified the presumed build site of the third carrier in May 2019. Recent satellite imagery shows that construction of the carrier has moved to a secondary location at Jiangnan. While this relocation took place between May 24 and June 2, it was not until mid-August that satellite imagery provided a clear view of the vessel at its new location. For the first time since construction began, the vessel’s hull blocks are laid out in order of construction and uncovered by environmental shelters, allowing the clearest view yet of the carrier.
Click image to enlarge
There are nine hull blocks spaced out on the dry dock. The blocks stretch roughly 351 meters from bow to stern (including the spaces between them). Excluding these spaces, the vessel’s visible hull blocks total roughly 297 meters in length. The longest block, which comprises the stern, is about 49 meters in length. In terms of width, the widest hull blocks measure approximately 40 meters.
The currently visible hull blocks generally reflect the size of the vessel at its waterline. As work on the carrier progresses, additional blocks will be placed on top of the existing ones. The vessel’s superstructure, including the flight deck and island, will then be placed on top of these blocks.2 This will significantly increase the vessel’s overall footprint and lend it a more easily recognizable appearance.
The measurements of the nine hull blocks are generally consistent with what is expected for China’s third carrier. At roughly 297 meters, the combined length of the ship’s visible components is approaching the overall length of China’s first two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (304.5 meters) and the Shandong (315 meters).
As construction continues, we expect the vessel to lengthen by several meters with the addition of the flight deck. The overall length of the USS Gerald R. Ford, for example, is nearly 16 meters longer than its waterline length. At the current stage, however, it is not yet possible to confirm the final length of China’s third carrier.
Future imagery should uncover these and other details. For instance, imagery may reveal the type of aircraft launch system the third carrier will employ. Various unofficial reports speculate that, unlike its predecessors, the third carrier will feature an electromagnetic catapult launch system. It is not yet possible to assess whether this is accurate, but unofficial sources suggest that China has made significant headway in developing this technology.
In addition to providing information on the status of the third carrier, recent developments have given new insight into China’s process for constructing aircraft carriers at Jiangnan. The early stages of the ship’s construction were primarily localized within a recent expansion of Jiangnan, located in the southeastern portion of the shipyard.3 This area includes fabrication and assembly facilities, as well as a large basin that is nearly three times larger than the older basin situated nearby. These new facilities appear purpose-built for constructing large naval vessels.
We originally assessed that the construction and fitting out of the carrier was likely to be localized in this newer section of the shipyard. However, the relocation of the carrier has shown that the construction process spans much of Jiangnan. The relocation of the carrier blocks probably occurred via a utility road on large transporter vehicles. The blocks were then placed in a temporary location adjacent to the dry dock and then moved into the dry dock by a large gantry crane. Notably, the area around the dry dock (where the carrier is now situated) has been used in the construction of several large commercial craft, including very large crude carriers (VLCC), large liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers, and very large ore carriers – some of the largest seafaring vessels in the world.
Assembly of the hull is expected to take place over the next several months. Once the hull and superstructure are assembled, the dry dock will be flooded and the carrier will enter the water. The carrier is likely to then move to another location for fitting out. The vessel may be moored at the large T-shaped piers that jut out into the Yangtze River, or it could be placed in the new basin adjacent to where many of the vessel’s initial blocks were fabricated. The US Department of Defense notes that China expects to enter the third carrier into service by 2023.
This basin has seen significant improvements since ChinaPower last analyzed the shipyard. Work on dredging and reinforcing the basin’s bottom appears to be mostly finished. On the southern wall of the basin, a dock measuring 930 meters has been built, and a very large ore carrier and large floating drydock can be seen moored there in the August 18 imagery. On the northern side the basin, another dock is under construction that (when completed) will measure at least 350 meters in length. These docks will likely be used for mooring and fitting out large vessels – perhaps including the third carrier or future planned carriers.
There have also been other infrastructure improvements to the shipyard. Over the last year, the assembly facility where the carrier was initially being built has increased in size by roughly 30,000 square meters, which provides additional space for assembling large vessel components.
Previous Updates
The below timeline summarizes key developments at Jiangnan Shipyard. For more details, read our previous satellite imagery analysis by expanding the sections below. To learn more about China’s aircraft carrier program, see our features on China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and China’s first domestically-built carrier. For more updates, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our podcast.
chinapower.csis.org
ChinaPower has tracked military developments at Jiangnan Shipyard since late 2018, and originally identified the presumed build site of the third carrier in May 2019. Recent satellite imagery shows that construction of the carrier has moved to a secondary location at Jiangnan. While this relocation took place between May 24 and June 2, it was not until mid-August that satellite imagery provided a clear view of the vessel at its new location. For the first time since construction began, the vessel’s hull blocks are laid out in order of construction and uncovered by environmental shelters, allowing the clearest view yet of the carrier.
Click image to enlarge
There are nine hull blocks spaced out on the dry dock. The blocks stretch roughly 351 meters from bow to stern (including the spaces between them). Excluding these spaces, the vessel’s visible hull blocks total roughly 297 meters in length. The longest block, which comprises the stern, is about 49 meters in length. In terms of width, the widest hull blocks measure approximately 40 meters.
The currently visible hull blocks generally reflect the size of the vessel at its waterline. As work on the carrier progresses, additional blocks will be placed on top of the existing ones. The vessel’s superstructure, including the flight deck and island, will then be placed on top of these blocks.2 This will significantly increase the vessel’s overall footprint and lend it a more easily recognizable appearance.
The measurements of the nine hull blocks are generally consistent with what is expected for China’s third carrier. At roughly 297 meters, the combined length of the ship’s visible components is approaching the overall length of China’s first two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (304.5 meters) and the Shandong (315 meters).
As construction continues, we expect the vessel to lengthen by several meters with the addition of the flight deck. The overall length of the USS Gerald R. Ford, for example, is nearly 16 meters longer than its waterline length. At the current stage, however, it is not yet possible to confirm the final length of China’s third carrier.
Future imagery should uncover these and other details. For instance, imagery may reveal the type of aircraft launch system the third carrier will employ. Various unofficial reports speculate that, unlike its predecessors, the third carrier will feature an electromagnetic catapult launch system. It is not yet possible to assess whether this is accurate, but unofficial sources suggest that China has made significant headway in developing this technology.
| Chinese Aircraft Carrier Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shandong | Third carrier | |
| Design | Chinese | Chinese |
| Length | 315m | – |
| Beam | 75m | – |
| Waterline Beam | 35m | 40m (estimated) |
| Launch Type | STOBAR | CATOBAR |
| Displacement | 66,000 – 70,000 tons | 80,000 – 85,000 tons (estimated) |
| Propulsion | Conventional | Conventional |
| Shipyard of Origin | Dalian | Jiangnan |
| Sources:Various | ||
| Figures for the third carrier are likely to change as more information becomes available. |
We originally assessed that the construction and fitting out of the carrier was likely to be localized in this newer section of the shipyard. However, the relocation of the carrier has shown that the construction process spans much of Jiangnan. The relocation of the carrier blocks probably occurred via a utility road on large transporter vehicles. The blocks were then placed in a temporary location adjacent to the dry dock and then moved into the dry dock by a large gantry crane. Notably, the area around the dry dock (where the carrier is now situated) has been used in the construction of several large commercial craft, including very large crude carriers (VLCC), large liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers, and very large ore carriers – some of the largest seafaring vessels in the world.
Assembly of the hull is expected to take place over the next several months. Once the hull and superstructure are assembled, the dry dock will be flooded and the carrier will enter the water. The carrier is likely to then move to another location for fitting out. The vessel may be moored at the large T-shaped piers that jut out into the Yangtze River, or it could be placed in the new basin adjacent to where many of the vessel’s initial blocks were fabricated. The US Department of Defense notes that China expects to enter the third carrier into service by 2023.
This basin has seen significant improvements since ChinaPower last analyzed the shipyard. Work on dredging and reinforcing the basin’s bottom appears to be mostly finished. On the southern wall of the basin, a dock measuring 930 meters has been built, and a very large ore carrier and large floating drydock can be seen moored there in the August 18 imagery. On the northern side the basin, another dock is under construction that (when completed) will measure at least 350 meters in length. These docks will likely be used for mooring and fitting out large vessels – perhaps including the third carrier or future planned carriers.
There have also been other infrastructure improvements to the shipyard. Over the last year, the assembly facility where the carrier was initially being built has increased in size by roughly 30,000 square meters, which provides additional space for assembling large vessel components.
Previous Updates
The below timeline summarizes key developments at Jiangnan Shipyard. For more details, read our previous satellite imagery analysis by expanding the sections below. To learn more about China’s aircraft carrier program, see our features on China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and China’s first domestically-built carrier. For more updates, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our podcast.
| Timeline of Key Developments | |
|---|---|
| Time Period | Description |
| Mid-2018 | Rumors surface that construction of China’s third aircraft carrier was underway. |
| November 2018 | China’s official news agency Xinhua acknowledges the existence of the third carrier. |
| April 2019 | Satellite imagery shows evidence that China is constructing the third carrier in newly built facilities at Jiangnan Shipyard. |
| Late 2019 – Early 2020 | Progress continues, with rumors suggesting minor pauses in work resulting from Covid-19 and China’s Lunar New Year holiday. |
| May/June 2020 | Components of the third carrier are moved from their original location to a second location at Jiangnan Shipyard. |
| July/August 2020 | The carrier’s hull components are moved into a dry dock for the next stage of construction. Additional infrastructure improvements are made to the new assembly facility. |
Tracking China's Third Aircraft Carrier | ChinaPower Project
The construction of a third aircraft carrier – the Type 002 – appears to be underway at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard. Learn more.
