China's New Super Carrier: How It Compares To The US Navy's Ford Class - Naval News

The seminal moment in the Pacific War was the US destroying all of Japan's aircraft carriers. It meant that we would prevail in the Pacific War. Japan lost her ability to attack our navy because she had no naval air power. The Japanese Navy was incapable of defending itself without naval air power. The resultants meant we ruled the seas and most of the air. The Japanese navy was also incapable of logistically supporting her spread out army on various islands, nations, and island nations.

I am not smart enough to know if destroying all of China's aircraft carriers will replicate what we accomplished in the Pacific War due to new weapons and weapons platforms. I know the less aircraft carriers China has is better for us. It makes it harder for China to defend the seas and the air. A war with China will be interesting as we have different weapons and weapons platforms. China has not fought a conventional battle in ages thus I wonder about her military leadership, doctrine, and tactics.

SSG Robert Mark Odom

China’s New Super Carrier: How It Compares To The US Navy’s Ford Class

A new aircraft carrier, currently under construction in Shanghai, is the most visible sign of China's rapidly expanding navy. It is larger than China's current two carriers and differs in key aspects. But the natural comparison is to the U.S. Navy's latest carriers, the Ford Class.

Aircraft carriers are a strategic priority for the world’s leading navies. Experienced players such as the Royal Navy, French Navy (Marine Nationale) and Indian Navy are all in the process of bringing in new carriers. And Japan, South Korea and likely other countries are all taking steps to join the club. But nowhere is the capability gathering steam as much as in China. The Chinese Navy (PLAN) has already commissioned two carriers based on the Russian Admiral Kutzenov class. But their third carrier, known as Type-003, promises to take the PLAN to the next level.

Meanwhile the U.S. Navy, for decades the world leader in this technology, is also modernizing with a new class of super carrier. The first Ford Class ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was commissioned in 2017. While it has suffered some teething problems it remains the largest and most modern carrier afloat.

The Type-003 is very close in size to the U.S. Navy’s carriers. And although the definition is vague, it seems fair to also describe it as a “super carrier”.

Fresh commercial satellite imagery from Kompsat, via Shadowbreak Inti., allows us to finally measure the size and layout of the Type-003. This permits a general high-level comparison to the Ford Class.

The imagery shows that it is approximately 320 meters (1,050 feet) long. This is about 13 meters (43 feet) shorter than the Ford Class. And it seems less than it sounds if you placed the two ships side by side.

The Chinese ship does have a narrower flight deck however, It’s width of about 73 meters (240 feet) is very similar to preceding Type-001 and Type-002 carriers. There may be logistical reasons for this, such as dry dock sizes. Or it may simply be that the Chinese planners were happy with the width of the current carriers.

I think the advancement of Chinese technological capabilities should be raising some serious eyebrows at the Pentagon and among the Alphabet Soup Agencies. Look at what has been accomplished in a relatively short time with their space mission.