What will be the capabilities of the future Chinese Type 003 aircraft carrier?

It has now been a year since the first blocks making up the future Chinese Type 003 aircraft carrier were moved from their assembly area to the dry dock of the Jiangnan shipyards in Shanghai, and the new ship is now taking shape based on observations made by Chinese spotters, especially when they take a commercial flight over these industrial facilities. So, last week, pictures showed that the ship had received its island, and that the whole of the hull had been finalized, allowing to get a more precise idea of ​​what this ship will be, of its expected operational capacities, and of its function within the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army .

Thus, we now know in a precise way several constituent parameters of the building, such as its length of 320 meters, the width of the flight deck of 73 meters, and its estimated tonnage between 80.000 and 85.000 tonnes, i.e. the equivalent of aircraft carriers. Americans of the Kitty Hawk class, the last ships of this type not to have been equipped with nuclear propulsion in the US Navy. To compare, the new generation nuclear aircraft carriers of the Ford class have a length of 333 meters, a width of 77 meters and a displacement exceeding 100.000 tons. In addition, where the Fords have 4 electro-magnetic catapults, and 3 elevators, the Type 003 only has 3 catapults and 2 elevators. future PANG of the French Navy, it will have 3 elevators, but only 3 catapults, for a displacement of 80.000 tons. On the other hand, it will be, like the American ships, equipped with nuclear propulsion. So, is the Type 003 outclassed by American Fords? In reality, the two ships will be significantly different, in form and use ...

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