China: Aircraft carrier no. 3 about to be launched?

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the launch of the latest Chinese aircraft carrier is being prepared. According to US analysts, '003' could be launched "in the coming weeks or even days". Satellite images from 31 May show that the dry dock at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, where the ship is being built, has been cleared of smaller vessels and shipyard equipment. The Wall Street Journal quotes an analyst from the Center for Strategic and International Studies who believes that the ship could be launched for the Dragon Boat Festival, a national Chinese holiday (3 to 5 June 2022). However, there were already reports of an imminent launch in autumn 2021.

The new aircraft carrier is to be equipped with modern catapult technology. To date, only the US Navy uses electromagnetic catapults, EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System). No further details about the Chinese aircraft carrier are known.

Construction of the ship with the type designation 003 began in 2019, but it will be some time before it is ready for deployment. In earlier analyses, the US Department of Defence assumed 2024.