China Is Testing An Aircraft Carrier, But Its Mysterious Purpose Remains A Mystery
China has tested a mysterious aircraft carrier-like vessel with a large flight deck that could be used to carry manned drones and helicopters, according to photos and videos circulating on social media.
While the ship’s size and configuration are similar to China’s Type 075 naval helicopter landing dock, the light aircraft carrier’s design features three protruding island-like hulls instead of two, making it the first.
The ship, about 200 meters (656 feet) long, is believed to be docked at a facility owned by Comec, a shipbuilding company on Longxue Island in the southern city of Guangzhou. The US military news website The War Zone published the first report on the ship, saying it is likely a civilian research vessel capable of supporting naval missions.
COMEC, formerly Guangzhou International Shipbuilding Company, is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) that focuses on commercial ships.
The ship appears to have been launched between September 10 and October 9, according to The War Zone.
A video circulating on social media last week showed the ship seemingly able to sail under its own power just two months after its launch, suggesting it was built very quickly.
In October, the ship was spotted alongside China’s large unmanned combat ship JARI-USV-A, known as the Killer Whale.
Additional photos circulating on the US and Chinese platforms gave a closer look at the ship, showing two sets of markings on the ship’s open flight deck. This type of flight deck is typically used for both manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft.
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However, no obvious signs, such as military markings or hull numbers, indicate it is a warship. There is also no sign of catapults or cables that could be used for heavy fixed-wing aircraft, The War Zone reported on Tuesday.
The ship has a unique layout, with three island-like hulls on the starboard side of the flight deck. The central, multi-story island appears larger and taller than the other two.
“The superstructure near the bow includes a conventional-type bridge and spar, while the larger central hull has a glass turret area facing the stern for managing flight operations, and a prominent mast, although a spherical radome appears on top of the released image,” the report said.
“Finally, the hull closest to the stern houses the ship’s exhaust stacks.”
Open-source images collected by The War Zone suggest the ship is a simpler and cheaper design than a military aircraft carrier or multi-purpose amphibious assault ship, and is more likely a private project of CSSC than a Chinese naval project.
However, the lines between civilian and military vessels and Chinese technology are not always clear, and the facility where the ship is believed to be docked houses both civilian and military vessels, further blurring the purpose of the new ship.
As China’s naval power grows, the new ship will join a growing portfolio of indigenous light aircraft carriers and amphibious ships.
China has expanded its fleet of civilian research vessels, with 64 vessels currently in service, according to a recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
