Summary
Satellite images suggest China is developing a massive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, potentially matching the size and capabilities of U.S. supercarriers, analysts told NBC News.
The ship, possibly the Type 004, appears to feature four electromagnetic catapults for launching fighter jets, a design shift from China’s current fleet.
Experts say this move aligns with China’s goal of building a “blue-water navy” to rival the U.S.
While Beijing has not confirmed the project, U.S. officials view China’s military expansion as a strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific.
It doesn’t matter at this point. US hard power is largely worthless with US soft power wrecked.
It matters to pirates. China isn’t worried about a war with the US. Let’s face it the US is gone in a decade at most.
China is worried about transporting goods over sea from their belt and road allies using routes that pass by nations famous for naval piracy… Something currently kept in check by us patrols. If the US does start divesting one way or another from its navy, nations will need to guard their own ships from piracy, and that’s China’s clear goal with their entire naval forces.
You don’t need an aircraft carrier to take on pirates. You need destroyers and frigates.
China wants a blue water navy that can control/contest the seas in Asia with any nation.
Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov is also very large and theoretically more able to defend itself than at least the Nimitz class…if it wasn’t a reeking shitpile that can’t even move under its own power consistently.
The reason is that they expected that carrier to sail with little backup or none at all. Meanwhile every American carrier is just the centerpiece of a larger, exorbitantly expensive battle group. They can’t afford that, so they have to compensate somehow.
I’d assume the logic is the same with Chinese ambitions here.
