Chinese Navy Video Hints at Nuclear-Powered Fourth Aircraft Carrier
'Into The Deep' video marks PLA Navy's 77th anniversary, shows character 'He Jian' suggesting nuclear propulsion
L'essentiel
- A Chinese navy video titled 'Into The Deep' released to mark the 77th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy has sparked speculation that China's fourth aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered.
- The video showed a compass being passed down through generations of naval officers named after China's three current carriers—Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian—plus a fourth character named He Jian, where 'He' sounds like the Chinese word for 'nuclear'.
- Satellite images suggest the ship is similar in size to America's nuclear-powered Gerald R.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
China currently operates three aircraft carriers—Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian—all conventionally powered. The country has been rapidly expanding its naval capabilities to project power beyond its coastal waters, with the goal of becoming a true blue-water navy capable of global operations.
A video released by the Chinese navy highlighting China's blue-water naval ambitions has sparked speculation that its fourth aircraft carrier currently being built will be a nuclear-powered one. 'Into The Deep' was released Wednesday to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy showcased Chinese navy's transition from maritime ambitions and coastal defences. The video also highlighted China's "blue-water" navy capable of deep-sea operations. It also showed a compass being handed down through generations of naval officers named after the three aircraft carriers Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian currently in operation. But a fourth character was named He Jian, hinting that it could be a nuclear-powered ship because "He" sounds like the Chinese word for "nuclear" and "Jian" is the word for a "ship", the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. China has not officially confirmed it. Satellite images taken over years suggest the ship is of a similar size to America's nuclear-powered Gerald R Ford-class carriers, heightening speculation about whether a similar propulsion method will be used.
Questions ouvertes
- Will China officially confirm the nuclear-powered carrier?
- When will the fourth carrier be commissioned?
- What will be the exact specifications of the new carrier?