Chinese shipyard ready to launch Type 003 aircraft carrier, satellite images show
- The dry dock has been flooded so the vessel can be floated, and banners with political slogans and flags can be seen on the warship
- After it is launched, the carrier will go through a process of testing and equipment installation that analysts say will take years
The images – provided by Planet Labs and taken on Tuesday – show a line of lights at the No 4 dock at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, where the Type 003 warship has been under construction.
They also show that the dry dock has been flooded so that the vessel can be floated, and banners with political slogans and flags can be seen on the warship.
But so far there has been no notice from the Maritime Safety Administration warning passing commercial ships of any special arrangements in the waters around the shipyard – as happened when the previous aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was launched in 2017.
Their appearance has raised speculation that Xi – who also heads the Central Military Commission – could make an appearance in Shanghai to attend the launch.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Xi attends the ceremony because it was his decision to use electromagnetic catapults on the ship,” said Liang Guoliang, a Hong Kong-based military observer.
According to Liang, there was a heated debate in the navy over whether to use the old steam catapults or to try the new electromagnetic technology when work began on the Type 003 aircraft carrier in 2016, and Xi made the final decision. Catapults are used to assist aircraft to take off from the deck of a warship.
