China's Next Carrier Is Already Bigger Than the Fujian

Satellite imagery shows the Type 004 hull stretching 1,050 feet at Dalian—and it may be nuclear-powered.

By The Defense Desk

China's fourth aircraft carrier is taking visible form at Dalian Shipyard. Satellite imagery obtained from Vantor shows the Type 004's hull already measuring around 1,050 feet (320 meters) in length—longer than the Fujian, which stands at 1,036.75 feet (316 meters) in total length. [1]

What makes the Type 004 more significant than its size is what may be powering it. Two distinct reactor containment structures visible in earlier satellite imagery have designs that are very broadly consistent with what is found on U.S. nuclear-powered carriers, according to analysis by TWZ. [1]

[1]

The pace of construction is as telling as the vessel itself. What emerges from the imagery is not just a ship but a signal—of industrial ambition, of strategic intent, of a navy rewriting the terms of blue-water reach.

For comparison, the USS Gerald R. Ford measures 1,106 feet (337 meters) overall. The Type 004's hull dimensions are all but certain to grow further as the ship gets closer to completion and gains its flight deck. [1]

naval nuclear propulsion does offer important advantages, including functionally unlimited rangeTWZ analysis