China is building a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Last Updated on November 15, 2024 5:47 am
It has been rumored for a long time that China is planning to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. This time, the country has added a new dimension to this discussion. They have taken another step towards building a warship.
It is reported that Beijing, which is keen to expand its influence in global waters, has built a prototype of a nuclear reactor for use in an aircraft carrier.
Satellite images from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California and government documents from the country have confirmed that China is working on a nuclear-powered propulsion system for a large warship.
Middlebury researchers conducted an investigation in a mountainous area outside the city of Leshan in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, suspecting that China is building a reactor to produce plutonium or tritium for nuclear weapons.
Analyzing satellite images, project tenders, personnel documents and environmental impacts, they said China is building a prototype of a land-based reactor for the warship.
The reactor is housed in a protected area called ‘Base 909’ under the China Atomic Energy Institute.
It takes longer to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier than a conventional aircraft carrier. However, these warships can stay at sea for a long time. Because of the greater space for fuel and weapons, these warships can carry more warplanes than conventional warships. In addition, these warships are capable of generating more electricity by operating powerful technology.
China has the largest navy in the world in terms of the number of warships. They have three aircraft carriers.
Although the Chinese military has not said directly, experts say that Chinese shipyards have the capacity to build multiple carriers at the same time and also build a nuclear-powered warship at the same time.
Currently, only the United States has the largest number of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The country has a total of 11 nuclear warships. Even so, the Pentagon is concerned about the increasing modernization of China’s navy.
Source: Associated Press (AP)