The People's Liberation Army Navy's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, the Fujian, officially entered service, marking the entry of the People's Navy into the "three-carrier era." The official then stated that it would develop a super nuclear-powered carrier, while U.S. media analysis suggests that the 004-class carrier may reach 120,000 tons, far exceeding the current carriers.
01. Will 003 and 004 be built simultaneously?
At the same time, discussions about the possible mass production of the 003-class carrier have attracted widespread attention. Analysts said that the "003" carrier (the first ship, Fujian) is not merely a serial number, but represents a mature model, and China's aircraft carrier production may enter a phase of specific model mass production, which has not been seen in the past with the Liaoning and Shandong.
But against this background, a key question has emerged. Since the next generation is clearly aimed at a 120,000-ton nuclear-powered super carrier (004 class), why build a batch of conventional power 003 class carriers? If there is a better one, should it not be prioritized?
Experts said that China's aircraft carrier construction has formed a pattern of two major shipyards in the south and north. The southern shipyard is responsible for the construction of the 003-class carrier, while the northern shipyard is reportedly already underway with the construction of the 004-class super nuclear carrier, and the parts are now shaped, showing that each shipyard has its own division of labor.
The 003-class "Fujian" as China's first electromagnetic catapult carrier, accumulated valuable experience in design, construction, and testing. From steel plate cutting to the installation of the island, from electromagnetic catapult debugging to the adaptation of carrier aircraft, each link requires highly specialized teams, and the Fujian is the first aircraft carrier built by Jiangnan Shipyard.
If the southern shipyard stops the 003 class after completing the "Fujian," it will lead to idle production lines. If only one is built, it not only fails to fully utilize the platform potential, but also wastes the huge R&D costs invested earlier, since the 003 is different from the previous 002 (Shandong) which was only one.
For the People's Liberation Army Navy, the 003 class as a key model that "carries forward and opens up," mass production can quickly supplement the number of carriers and meet the urgent need for carriers of the People's Liberation Army Navy. For the southern shipyard, continuing to build improved models of the 003 class can further reduce costs and shorten the construction cycle.
The northern shipyard previously undertook the renovation of the Liaoning and the construction of the Shandong, and has the full process construction capability for aircraft carriers, while the southern shipyard has mastered advanced technologies such as electromagnetic catapult and integrated power systems through the 003-class project.
The two shipyards are advancing different aircraft carrier models in parallel. The 004 class, as a technological leap project, needs to overcome challenges such as the nuclear power system, and its cycle is longer, while the continuous construction of the 003 class can ensure that the navy maintains a steady improvement in the combat capabilities of the carrier force before the 004 class is commissioned.
02. 003 can quickly make up for the number of PLA carriers
China's naval strategic transformation is from "coastal defense" to "far-sea defense." With the promotion of the "Belt and Road" initiative, China's overseas interests (energy transport routes, maritime trade routes) have extended to the Indian Ocean and deep Pacific.
A simulation by the U.S. think tank CSIS shows that if a conflict occurs in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea, the PLA has a greater military advantage, while in more distant areas such as the central Pacific, the Red Sea, and the Atlantic, U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups still have an advantage in countering "anti-access/area denial."
To deal with these potential challenges, the Chinese Navy needs enough aircraft carriers. The operational cycle of one carrier is usually "deployment, maintenance, training," and the effective deployment time of a single ship per year is only about six months. Currently, China only has three carriers (Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian), even if all form combat effectiveness, it is difficult to cover the needs of the two strategic directions of the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean throughout the year.
Mass production of the 003-class carrier (expected to take 3-4 years per ship) could increase the number of active carriers to 5-6 within 5-8 years, significantly enhancing the PLA's ability to conduct long-range operations.
From a quality perspective, the 003 class is not an interim model. Its displacement of over 80,000 tons, three electromagnetic catapult tracks, and the combination of J-15T and KJ-600, already have the capability to match the U.S. "Nimitz" class.
Compared to the 004-class nuclear carrier, which is still under testing (expected to be commissioned after 2030), the 003 class has higher maturity and a shorter construction cycle, and can quickly fill the current shortage of numbers.
In the future, the 003 class will form a "high-low" combination with the 004 class. The former will cover wide-area missions with quantity advantages, while the latter will execute high-intensity confrontation tasks with nuclear power long endurance and larger aircraft capacity (estimated 85-100 carrier aircraft), jointly building a "all-time, all-domain" aircraft carrier combat system.
Some content in the article comes from the following sources: 1. Upholding for more than 20 years to achieve 2-second catapult takeoff - They have firmly grasped the core technology of the Fujian in their own hands - CCTV News
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570550795687690794/
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