 "China outpaces India in nuclear aircraft carrier race with new breakthrough")
China appears to be advancing its plans for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a South China Morning Post report from Sunday indicated, citing reports of a prototype nuclear reactor sparking renewed attention on Beijing's aspirations to project naval power globally.
Unlike conventional carriers, nuclear-powered ones can operate for extended periods without refuelling, providing them with greater range and the capacity to carry more fuel and weapons for their aircraft.
What do we know about China's prototype nuclear reactor?
On November 11, the Associated Press reported that a prototype reactor for a large surface warship had been constructed at a mountain site near Leshan in Sichuan province. Research, conducted by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California and provided to the news agency, suggested that China's 701 Institute, which oversees aircraft carrier development, had acquired reactor equipment "intended for installation on a large surface warship".
This conclusion was drawn from publicly accessible documents, including an environmental impact report identifying the project as "national defence-related", and satellite imagery captured between 2020 and 2023 that showed the development of reactor-related facilities.
Currently, the United States (US) operates 11 nuclear-powered carriers, while France has one, the Charles de Gaulle.
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China's ambitions for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier have long been speculated upon, with many seeing it as a critical step towards equipping the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy with blue-water capabilities. The Associated Press report may be the clearest indication yet that Beijing is pursuing this goal.
What about India's aircraft carrier plans?
This comes as India continues to counter Beijing's growing military presence in the Indian Ocean, a concern expected to persist despite the recent thaw in relations following the October Line of Actual Control (LAC) patrolling agreement.
In May, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India would soon begin constructing its third aircraft carrier. Singh made these remarks in reference to the pending Indian Navy proposal to construct another indigenous aircraft carrier of the same size as the INS Vikrant, which weighs 45,000 tonnes and was commissioned in September 2022.
Currently, the Indian Navy operates two 45,000-tonne aircraft carriers: the INS Vikramaditya and the INS Vikrant. Both are conventionally powered and utilise ski-jump ramps to assist with aircraft take-offs. The INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous carrier, was constructed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, while the INS Vikramaditya was acquired from Russia and has been operational since 2014.
These carriers can each accommodate 25-30 fixed-wing aircraft along with 10 helicopters. Given that the proposed third aircraft carrier will match the size of the INS Vikrant, it is expected to have a similar air wing capacity.
India had earlier considered building a 65,000-tonne third carrier, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2 (IAC-2), with a projected air wing of 54 fighters. Discussions had also included the possibility of equipping the ship with nuclear propulsion and electromagnetic catapults.
However, the current plans strongly suggest that India’s third carrier will be conventionally powered.
What are the capabilities of nuclear-powered carriers?
If realised, a nuclear-powered carrier would enable the PLA Navy to carry out "smooth deepwater aircraft operations", Yoon Suk-joon, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs and an expert on Chinese naval systems, told the South China Morning Post.
Yoon noted that nuclear propulsion not only allows sufficient operating speed unaffected by sea conditions and ample power supply, but also ensures the safety of aircraft take-off and landing systems. This, he added, would provide the Chinese navy with the confidence to keep its carriers operational in open seas.
He explained that nuclear power could enable speeds of up to 30 knots, or 55 kilometres per hour (km/h), enhancing the efficiency of advanced aircraft launch systems.
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, reportedly highlighted the potential for such carriers to undertake "global voyages" without frequent refuelling. "We are not just looking at the Chinese operating the carrier just within the region," Koh observed.
He speculated that such a reactor would likely be intended exclusively for use on carriers, emphasising the "long-term Chinese ambition" it represents. While such vessels could play a critical role in flashpoints like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, Koh noted their likely deployment on a broader scale, starting with the Indian Ocean.
He also pointed out that China's first overseas military base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa is large enough to host an aircraft carrier.
What do we know about China's rapid naval modernisation?
The PLA Navy, already the largest in the world, aims to operate six carriers by 2035 as part of its aggressive modernisation drive. Its newest and third carrier, the Fujian, is undergoing sea trials and is the first non-US carrier to feature an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system, which allows for higher-frequency aircraft launches.
According to Koh, China's carrier programme is evolving rapidly, with the Fujian's successor – referred to as the Type 004 – expected to be of a similar or larger size. Should the reactor project prove successful, future Chinese carriers "will all be nuclear-powered", he reportedly added.
In March, Yuan Huazhi, political commissar for the PLA Navy, confirmed that work on a fourth carrier was in progress, with an announcement on whether it would feature nuclear propulsion expected "soon".
What are the strategic implications?
Alex Bristow, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the South China Morning Post that nuclear-powered carriers would solidify the PLA Navy's status as a "first-tier" rival to the US Navy.
While noting that an aircraft carrier's chances of survival in a major US-China conflict were "debatable", Bristow said that they could still play an important role in other scenarios, enabling Beijing to signal strength and exert force, particularly against weaker adversaries.