Fresh developments emerging only days after the commissioning of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, indicate that work is quietly advancing on a possible nuclear-powered successor.

Newly surfaced imagery and analysis suggest that China’s next-generation carrier, known informally as the Type 004, may be the country’s first vessel to adopt a nuclear propulsion system—a major shift in naval capability and projection strategy.

According to a report by The War Zone, satellite images and dockside photographs from the Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province reveal hull sections resembling those of American nuclear-powered supercarriers.

A key structural feature visible in the imagery appears consistent with a reactor containment area, a defining element of a nuclear-powered design.

Analysts cited in the report believe the visible configuration supports the assumption of a nuclear plant being integrated into the ship’s design. While it remains possible that the structure is part of a prototype or modular testbed, the configuration strongly hints at preparations for nuclear propulsion installation.

If confirmed, the introduction of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would redefine the operational range and endurance of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

Unlike conventionally powered carriers, which rely on diesel and steam turbine systems requiring regular refuelling, nuclear carriers possess unmatched range and sustained cruising capability.

Such endurance would drastically enhance China’s blue-water operational depth, supporting longer and more assertive deployments far from home ports.

At present, all 11 of the United States Navy’s aircraft carriers utilise nuclear propulsion, while China’s Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian rely on conventional systems. The Fujian, although significantly advanced with electromagnetic catapults and enhanced sortie-handling capability, remains tied to a limited range of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles. A nuclear-powered carrier would remove this constraint entirely.

Hints of China’s interest in naval nuclear propulsion surfaced in 2023 when satellite imagery identified a prototype reactor facility outside Leshan, Sichuan province. The Associated Press reported that this land-based installation was designed to test reactor systems suitable for large surface vessels, offering clear parallels with carrier propulsion requirements.

The combination of this infrastructure and the new Dalian shipyard imagery lends growing weight to the assessment that China’s fourth aircraft carrier programme has moved into an advanced phase likely centred on nuclear propulsion.

A nuclear-propelled Type 004 would represent a major technological leap, elevating China into a select group of nations—currently only the United States and France—operating such carriers. Beyond prestige, the real benefit lies in extended mission duration, resupply independence, and the ability to maintain sustained presence deeper into the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean regions.

This development directly aligns with Beijing’s strategy to challenge US dominance in the western Pacific and to project power across the so-called first island chain stretching from Japan to the Philippines. Enhanced range and endurance would allow China to sustain operations well beyond its immediate maritime periphery, signalling a maturing blue-water fleet.

In tandem with nuclear developments at Dalian, new satellite observations at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai—the same facility that produced the Fujian—indicate early-stage preparations possibly linked to another large-scale carrier project.

Cleaning and dock preparation activities suggest that a conventional carrier programme might run concurrently with the Type 004’s construction, ensuring continuity in fleet expansion irrespective of nuclear progress timelines.

Although Yuan Huazhi, political commissar for the PLAN, confirmed earlier this year that work on China’s fourth carrier had begun, he declined to specify whether the vessel would be nuclear-powered. 

Meanwhile, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV recently amplified domestic expectations by airing statements from defence experts suggesting nuclear carriers are part of China’s future maritime roadmap.

With mounting physical evidence and corroborative statements emerging within weeks of the Fujian’s launch, China’s move towards a nuclear-powered carrier appears increasingly likely. Should the Type 004 proceed as anticipated, it would mark a landmark moment in Chinese naval modernisation, underscoring Beijing’s transition from regional naval dominance toward a truly global maritime presence.

Based On SCMP Report