February 27, 2021 Topic: Security Region: Asia Blog Brand: The Reboot
Yes, China Is Gunning for a Six Carrier Navy by 2035
Beijing is building new ships at an incredible speed.
by Mark Episkopos
Key point: The PLA Navy wants to dominate its regional waters. Building a world-class multi-carrier fleet is how it will do it.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is taking further steps to expand its domestic aircraft carrier production plans, highlighting the rapid growth of Beijing’s blue-water navy ambitions.
This first appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest.
PLAN currently operates two aircraft carriers. Type 001 Liaoning was built from the hulk of the Soviet Kuznetsov-class aircraft cruiser Riga, purchased by China from the post-Soviet state of Ukraine in 1998—Liaoning currently serves in PLAN’s North Sea Fleet. Shandong is a domestically-built, conventionally powered carrier that was transferred to the South Sea Fleet in 2019. Shandong, which was introduced as the Type 001A but renamed as the Type 002 after being commissioned, boasts a series of practical design improvements over the Liaoning.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/yes-china-gunning-six-carrier-navy-2035-178979
