Since the launch of the 003 Fujian ship, foreign media have not stopped discussing it. However, the popularity of 003 may only last for a few days, and then everyone will discuss its next aircraft carrier, 004. Because the 003 aircraft carrier technically bypassed the traditional steam catapult and used the latest electromagnetic catapult , thus technically achieving overtaking in corners, many foreign media believe that the 004 aircraft carrier may technically be A leap has been achieved again and direct use of nuclear power has been achieved. However, the American military media website "1945" put forward a different view.
US media said that the Chinese Navy has developed rapidly in the past ten years. The commissioning of a large number of modern warships has made the Chinese Navy the second largest navy in the world after the US Navy. The launch of the 003 aircraft carrier once again proved the great progress of China's national defense industry from a technical level. China currently has three aircraft carriers. Each aircraft carrier has a higher technical level than the previous one. The 004 aircraft carrier is no exception. It may apply more and more advanced technologies, and its technical level may be higher than when it was just launched. The 003 aircraft carrier is taller, but this does not mean that the 004 aircraft carrier will use nuclear propulsion technology. No details have actually been released about the Type 004 aircraft carrier, but in recent years there have been rumors that the Type 004 will be nuclear powered, which is indeed a "giant leap" for the Chinese Navy. However, these rumors may be exaggerated.
US media said that according to a report in the South China Morning Post on Friday, the Chinese Navy's fourth aircraft carrier may actually be diesel-powered, much like the Type 003 aircraft carrier currently launched. The choice to use traditional power is more likely because the Chinese Navy's nuclear reactor technology is not enough to support the use of aircraft carriers exceeding 80,000 tons.
According to Hong Kong media reports, the final decision on whether the 004 aircraft carrier will use nuclear power or diesel power for propulsion has not yet been made, but the Navy prefers to use conventional power propulsion with relatively mature technology. But what is certain is that even if it is not nuclear-powered, the 004 aircraft carrier can greatly enhance the capabilities of the Chinese navy, because it can be launched between 2025 and 2027 using conventional power with relatively mature technology, which means that it can In service until 2030. By then, the Chinese Navy will have four aircraft carrier strike groups , which will greatly improve the Chinese navy's external power projection capabilities.
If 004 uses a nuclear-powered propulsion engine that is not technically mature, it may not be completed so easily, but will require a relatively long process, which may affect the construction speed of the Chinese Navy. Although compared with conventionally powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have natural advantages in acceleration performance and endurance, we lack the technology and experience to build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. In terms of conventional power, we not only have mature manufacturing technology, but also have ten years of experience in use. With nuclear power propulsion technology, we almost have to start from scratch. Military experts say that haste makes waste. Not only does it take much longer to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier than conventional power, but it is also likely that it will not be able to achieve combat effectiveness for a long time due to technical obstacles and operational experience.
Of course, in terms of nuclear propulsion technology, our manufacturing experience is not zero. Our country currently has more than a dozen nuclear-powered submarines, including Type 091, Type 092, Type 093 and Type 094, as well as the legendary Types 095 and 096. Of course, this does not mean that the nuclear power engine on the nuclear submarine can be used by an aircraft carrier. In reality, there is an example of failure. France's Charles de Gaulle-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was insufficiently powered because it used the power engine of a nuclear submarine. However, the Charles de Gaulle class is only a 40,000-ton aircraft carrier. If it is a super aircraft carrier that exceeds an 80,000-ton level, the nuclear submarine's power engine will be even worse. However, China can develop nuclear propulsion technology for super aircraft carriers based on nuclear power engine technology for nuclear submarines. Of course, this still requires a process.
In addition, my country has been planning to build the marine nuclear power platform since 2014. It has been doing research on this platform. In 2016, it launched the HHP-25 marine nuclear power platform construction project, with a total tonnage of 20,000 tons. The HHP-25 nuclear power platform is mobile and mainly provides safe and effective energy supply for offshore oil drilling platforms and remote islands. An HHP-25 nuclear power is similar to a nuclear-powered ship. By building it and operating it, technical experience in building nuclear-powered ships can be accumulated.
US media reported that the construction of the 004 aircraft carrier is still completed by Jiangnan Shipyard . The special steel for this aircraft carrier has been prepared, but construction will not start until the results of the sea trials of the Fujian ship are available. US media believe that this will further indicate that the 004 aircraft carrier may closely follow the design of the 003 aircraft carrier. Using the mature technology on the 003 aircraft carrier can allow the 004 to be quickly built. At the same time, nuclear power propulsion technology may be applied to the next aircraft carrier.
American military analysts believe that after the 003 aircraft carrier is launched, it must be outfitted and install a series of equipment, which usually takes nearly a year, and then sea trials, including mooring and navigation, this process also requires About 1 year later. If everything goes well, the 004 aircraft carrier may start construction in 2023 or 2024. However, China's nuclear propulsion technology for the aircraft carrier may not be completed at this time. Therefore, if the 004 aircraft carrier is to be put into service as quickly as possible, the most effective It may still use traditional power propulsion.
US media said that Chinese military experts previously said that the Chinese Navy has a different global strategy from the U.S. Navy. The Chinese Navy only sails in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. The diesel-powered aircraft carrier is powerful enough to allow the People's Liberation Army Navy to perform tasks such as maintaining China. Territorial sovereignty, escorting Chinese merchant ships transporting resources from the Middle East and other tasks. Therefore, it is very likely that the 004 aircraft carrier will still be conventionally powered, but it does not mean that China will give up nuclear propulsion technology. They may use it on the next aircraft carrier 005 or the future amphibious assault ship . In short, China will launch a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier sooner or later. This is only a matter of time.
In fact, there is no need to study this point of view of the US media too much. Yesterday, the US media also said that the 004 aircraft carrier will use nuclear power propulsion technology, as well as electromagnetic rail guns and laser weapons , and then today it said that 004 may not use nuclear weapons. Power propulsion technology. Sometimes they will praise your technology, and sometimes they will belittle your technology. No matter how the United States tries, there is one indisputable fact: the United States cannot contain the progress of China's military technology.
