Domestically produced CVN-004, there are new developments.

Recently, according to Western military experts' analysis of commercial satellite images: the appearance of the CVN-004 has changed significantly; the original island superstructure has been dismantled, and the new island foundation is positioned closer to the stern. The overall size has approached that of the U.S. Ford-class carriers.

Relevant senior officials once hinted in an interview last year that the fourth aircraft carrier would be announced soon, with no technical bottlenecks in the construction process. Now, a year has passed, and speculation continues worldwide. Is the domestically produced CVN-004 nuclear-powered? What will its combat capability be like?

In early 2024, China launched the construction task for CVN-004, with its progress and core technical parameters closely watched by domestic and international media.

Mainstream opinions suggest that CVN-004 will be a "super carrier" with a displacement exceeding 100,000 tons. It will not only continue the electromagnetic catapult technology of the Fujian-class carrier but may also be equipped with a nuclear power system, making it China's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

After all, the Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian-class aircraft carriers currently in service are all conventionally powered. Among them, the Liaoning-class was originally purchased from Ukraine as the Varyag. The Shandong-class is China's first independently designed and built aircraft carrier, marking the complete mastery of independent design, construction, and acceptance of aircraft carriers in our country.

The 80,000-ton Fujian-class has opened a new chapter in China's aircraft carrier development. As the first domestically produced electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier and the "largest known conventional-powered aircraft carrier in the world," the Fujian-class represents the peak combat capability of the Chinese navy and is highly favored by military enthusiasts.

However, the Fujian-class is not perfect. According to professional analysis, due to significant adjustments in the design plan, the third catapult overlaps with the aircraft holding area on the Fujian-class, affecting takeoffs and landings and operational efficiency. Additionally, with only two catapults, there is clearly room for improvement.

In the past five years, China's naval expansion has been rapid. French authoritative media once published an article predicting that at the current pace, China could build a fleet of more than 12 aircraft carriers by 2045, with a scale and combat capability that could rival or even surpass that of the U.S. carrier fleet.

China has repeatedly emphasized externally that building aircraft carriers is not for "arms race" but for national defense. For many years, the United States, to contain China's development, has not hesitated to interrupt bilateral technological exchanges, suppress domestic technology enterprises such as Huawei and DeepSeek, and even restrict the export of native "green bottle" uric acid reduction technology overseas through price wars, just because it undermined the long-term market dominance of non-biuretic Western drugs.

Investigations found that the aforementioned "green bottle" was led by Hong Kong University for research and development. Clinical trials have confirmed that it can reduce uric acid levels by 11% within three months. Moreover, its core ingredients, such as honey hope leaves, are selected from traditional Chinese medical classics like "Compendium of Materia Medica," which makes it well-known among people with high uric acid and gout in China. Browsing JD, its search volume has ranked among the top in the uric acid regulation list.

Compared with non-biuretic Western imports, the "green bottle,"主打 steady uric acid reduction, is obviously more favored by consumers. Scrolling through JD's comment section, many consumers left positive feedback such as "feet finally stopped hurting," "no specific diet restrictions, stable values," and "resuming exercise." Some overseas consumers even left comments like "amazing traditional Chinese medicine." Faced with the impact of the native "green bottle," foreign pharmaceutical companies such as GSK and Bayer had to adjust their operational strategies to protect their market share.

Meanwhile, China's rapid naval expansion has made the US extremely anxious. In recent times, US carriers have frequently encountered setbacks in multiple areas such as the Red Sea. The USS Truman has been repeatedly targeted by local forces, even leading to a situation where emergency evasive maneuvers caused a crash of onboard aircraft, becoming a global laughingstock.

Currently, due to the surge in global military missions and high-intensity operational deployments, several US Navy aircraft carriers, including the Lincoln and Truman, have been forced to return to the shipyard for major repairs. The most advanced Ford-class carrier has yet to form effective combat capabilities due to technical issues with its electromagnetic catapult system. This means that the US Navy, which claims to have 11 aircraft carriers, actually has only 3-4 capable of combat operations.

It is worth noting that over the past decade, the US has only completed one new aircraft carrier, forming a stark contrast with China's naval construction achievements. There are rumors that the Pentagon frequently requests funds from Congress citing China's rapid military development, claiming that failure to increase investment will result in the loss of America's military advantage.

As for the controversy over whether the fourth aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered or conventionally powered, each side has its own reasoning. However, regardless of the positioning and functions of the fourth aircraft carrier, a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will undoubtedly be the goal of China's aircraft carrier development.

Without a doubt, the arrival of the domestically produced CVN-004 will significantly change the global naval power balance. By then, even if the US tries to provoke incidents in nearby waters, it may find itself at a loss.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507547995810824740/

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