China’s Next Aircraft Carrier Will Have Some Serious Combat Power

Should the Navy be worried? We explain.

byZachary Keck

China’s next aircraft carrier is likely to boast a lot more combat power.

On June 20, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the firm that makes China’s aircraft carriers, posted an image on its social media accounts showing three aircraft carriers. On the right and left were the Liaoning—China’s first carrier, which was built by Ukraine—as well as China’s first domestically-built carrier.

Unlike those carriers, which have a ski-jump launch systems, the mysterious third carrier in the middle of the image had a flat flight deck with three catapult-like devices. This suggests it relies on a catapult launch system.

As the Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post pointed out, the image appeared to be an artist’s drawing rather than an actual photo of a new carrier. Furthermore, CSIC quickly removed the image from its social media accounts.

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