America has inadvertently helped build the Chinese military into a fully modern force that can—and will—challenge the U.S. Navy for supremacy in the Indo-Pacific.
The People’s Republic of China is about to surpass the United States Navy in terms of the ability to create a robust, advanced aircraft carrier fleet. China’s carriers are, at least for now, primarily designed to project power into the “First Island Chain” surrounding the mainland—running from Kamchatka in Russia through Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Under the cover of their sophisticated anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) network, the Chinese carrier force might be better-positioned than the American one when it comes to dominating the Indo-Pacific.
This is because the U.S. military is oriented as an expeditionary force, operating far afield from their power base in the Western Hemisphere. The United States Navy possesses the world’s largest and most advanced carrier force. But these carriers must operate with only the protection of an attendant aircraft carrier battle group. While these support vessels are competent defenders of the U.S. carriers, the defensive bubble they create is neither total nor infinite—and Beijing has prepared for decades to overwhelm it.
What Makes Chinese Carriers Different From American Carriers
China’s A2/AD systems are primed for swarming tactics, unlike anything the U.S. Navy has experienced since the darkest days of the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. The key difference between then and now, however, is that the cost of America’s carriers are orders of magnitude higher than what they were back when Admiral Chester Nimitz led American carriers into battle in the Pacific Theater.
China’s new carrier, known as the Type 004, is the country’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Such a carrier would be overkill if it were simply intended to project power into the First Island Chain. In truth, this is only the first part of Beijing’s strategic equation. Once the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has conquered the First Island Chain—China’s first order of business in any future Indo-Pacific conflict—the Type 004 will be used by the PLAN to project power into the Pacific Ocean proper.
Interestingly, the Type 004 would also be able to project power down to the Indian Ocean. Dominating the Indian Ocean has been a key objective of the PLAN for over a decade in what they call their “String of Pearls” strategy.
The Type 004’s Specs
So far, China has built three aircraft carriers, with each one more advanced than the one preceding it. Now, Beijing is building what can only be described as the mother of all aircraft carriers. Known as the Type 004 aircraft carrier, China’s new ship is going to be the king of the world’s carriers. After all, it is projected that the Type 004 will displace around 110,000 to 120,000 tons—surpassing even the mighty USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s newest class of carrier, which displaces around 100,000 tons. Indeed, some estimates claim the Type 004 will be the heaviest warship ever built.
The Type 004 is expected to carry an impressive and large airwing, given its overall displacement. It’s expected to carry around 70 to 100 aircraft. These aircraft will be China’s most advanced warplanes, such as the J-15 and stealthy J-35, along with the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and possibly even stealth drones, like the GJ-11 Sharp Sword.
Analysts expect that the Type 004 will retain the Catapult-Assisted Take-off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) configuration introduced in the Fujian, China’s previous advanced carrier, utilizing an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) for aircraft launches. This system offers significant advantages over the “ski-jump” design of Soviet-era carriers, allowing planes to take off with heavier payloads and greater fuel capacity, thereby extending the range and combat effectiveness of the carrier’s air wing. It should be noted that China’s CATOBAR and EMALS systems were likely stolen from the United States through industrial espionage as the aforementioned USS Gerald R. Ford was still under construction.
China’s Military is Ready to Break Through the First Island Chain
China’s military has broken out of the box that the United States had long endeavored to keep it in. Over the past three decades, Beijing has taken advantage of the international trading system to amass vast wealth, develop an advanced tech sector, and engage in wanton industrial espionage against the United States and others. Throughout this time, the United States has waned in strength. The “China shock” of the early 2000s led to the collapse of America’s industrial base, and Beijing has continued to gain strength through “free” trade—coupled with Washington’s seemingly total inability to secure its national and trade secrets.
In effect, America has helped build the Chinese military into a fully modern force that can—and will—challenge the U.S. Navy for supremacy in the Indo-Pacific. Judging from what PLAN Admiral Yuan Huazhi said last year, and what recent satellite photos of the Type 004 under construction show, we are unfortunately about to find out how badly the last 50 years of U.S. foreign policy has left us.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
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