China is reportedly building a prototype nuclear reactor designed for a large surface warship, a move that signals the country’s growing ambitions to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. This advancement positions China to join the exclusive ranks of the United States and France, the only nations currently operating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
The revelation comes from a new analysis of satellite imagery and Chinese government documents, shared exclusively with The Associated Press. Researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California traced the development to a site near the city of Leshan, located in Sichuan Province, where they initially suspected the reactor might be part of a project to produce materials for nuclear weapons, such as plutonium or tritium. However, their investigation led to the conclusion that China is, in fact, constructing a reactor intended for naval propulsion.
The Project
The project, known as the Longwei (Dragon Might) Project, is officially designated as the Nuclear Power Development Project. This research confirms long-standing rumors that China has been working on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, marking a major milestone in its naval ambitions. Satellite images taken between 2020 and 2023, along with documents such as environmental impact assessments, project tenders, and even public complaints about construction noise, point to a reactor being developed at Base 909, located about 70 miles southwest of Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu.
According to the report, this reactor is operated by the Nuclear Power Institute of China and is classified under a “national defense designation.” The site shows evidence of extensive construction, including the demolition of homes and the installation of infrastructure necessary for water intake, which is typical for a reactor of this scale. Furthermore, contracts for steam generators and turbine pumps suggest that the reactor is designed to operate as a pressurized water reactor, a type commonly used in naval propulsion systems.
Researchers involved in the study emphasized that, given the technical details of the project, it is highly likely that China is developing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. They noted that the specifications align with those used by other countries for large, nuclear-powered warships, and pointed out that the only other nations to pursue such reactors were the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
China’s Naval Fleet
This development is the latest in a series of milestones in China’s naval expansion. China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, commissioned in 2012, was a refurbished Soviet vessel. Its second carrier, the Shandong, was China’s first domestically built carrier, based on a similar Soviet design. Both are conventionally powered and utilize a “ski-jump” method for launching aircraft. In 2022, China launched its third carrier, the Fujian, which marked a significant leap forward as the first domestically designed and built carrier with an electromagnetic launch system, similar to those used by the U.S. Navy.
The development of a nuclear-powered carrier would represent a significant technological and strategic leap for China. It would allow the country to deploy a carrier with greater range and endurance, without the constraints of conventional fuel. The move also aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s broader strategy to transform China’s military capabilities and establish the country as a maritime power. As part of this vision, Xi has tasked the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with building a “first-class” navy capable of defending China’s growing interests on the global stage.
Currently there are only two countries in the world with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in their arsenal the United States Navy pioneered the technology with the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), commissioned in 1961. Since then, nuclear-powered carriers have become the backbone of U.S. naval power. US currently has 11 nuclear-powered carriers allowing it to keep multiple strike groups deployed around the world at all times, including in the Indo-Pacific. France operates a single nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle (R91), which plays a central role in the French Navy and in NATO operations.
While the timeline for China’s nuclear-powered carrier remains unclear, there has been growing speculation that China could build two new carriers simultaneously, one conventional and one nuclear-powered. The scale of this undertaking is ambitious, but China’s extensive shipbuilding capacity and rapid advancements in naval technology suggest that it is well within reach. The potential development of a Chinese nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would have broad implications for global naval power dynamics, further strengthening China’s position as a rising maritime force.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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