China Now Builds Its First Nuclear Aircraft Carrier

Satellite imagery and leaked photographs from 2025 indicate active construction activity at the Dalian Shipyard, where large hull sections and reactor-related modules have been observed. These features distinguish the Type 004 from China’s three conventionally powered carriers—Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian—and suggest a shift in propulsion philosophy.

The development follows earlier disclosures in 2024 of a land-based prototype reactor linked to naval propulsion research, pointing to a multi-year preparatory effort rather than an abrupt design change.

Type 004 Takes Shape

The Type 004 is expected to become the fourth aircraft carrier operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and its first powered by nuclear reactors.

Construction activity at Dalian Shipyard in 2025 has revealed hull modules, containment-like structures, and internal layouts consistent with nuclear propulsion, elements not present in China’s earlier carrier programs.

Analysts assess that the vessel could displace between 110,000 and 120,000 tons, placing it in the same weight class as, or potentially exceeding, the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class carriers.

Artist renderings circulating in open-source channels depict a supercarrier-scale platform with a broad flight deck and expanded internal volume to support advanced systems.

Electromagnetic Launch Capability

Design projections suggest the Type 004 will feature four to five electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS), expanding on the technology first introduced on the conventionally powered Fujian.

Such a configuration would support a projected air wing of more than 90 aircraft, including J-35 stealth fighters and KJ-600 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platforms.

The combination of nuclear propulsion and EMALS would provide substantially greater electrical output than steam-based systems, enabling higher sortie rates and sustained operations.

This architecture is designed to support heavier aircraft and more complex mission profiles than those flown from China’s earlier carriers.

Nuclear Propulsion and Global Reach

Nuclear propulsion would give the Type 004 effectively unlimited range and endurance, removing the refueling constraints that limit conventionally powered carriers.

This capability would allow the PLAN to conduct long-duration deployments beyond the Western Pacific, supporting operations in the Indian Ocean, Middle East, or other distant theaters.

Evidence of China’s naval nuclear propulsion ambitions surfaced in a 2024 Associated Press report describing a land-based reactor prototype at Base 909 in Sichuan Province, operated by the Nuclear Power Institute of China under the classified “Longwei Project.”

That facility is widely assessed as a testbed for carrier-scale reactor integration.

Expanding Shore Infrastructure

Parallel to carrier construction, China is expanding naval infrastructure to support a larger and more capable carrier fleet.

New piers and support facilities have been observed at Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, as well as at Yuchi and Qingdao, locations associated with future carrier deployments.

While no single institution has been publicly credited with the satellite imagery analysis, multiple open-source analysts, Japanese research organizations, and academic institutions have independently confirmed ongoing progress as of late 2025.

Despite this momentum, challenges remain, including nuclear reactor integration, crew training, and safe long-term operation of a nuclear-powered carrier force.