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Newsweek
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Satellite Photos Capture China Expanding Strategic Aircraft Carrier Base
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Open-source satellite imagery appears to show that China is expanding one of its naval bases that hosts an aircraft carrier, as it seeks to challenge United States naval dominance. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters China has the largest navy in the world by hull count, according to a Pentagon assessment. China has a fleet of more than 370 ships and submarines, which includes two aircraft carriers in active service. The United States possesses 11 operational aircraft carriers. In this image provided by the Chinese military on October 31, 2024, China's navy conducts dual aircraft carrier operations in the South China Sea, involving aircraft carriers CNS Shandong, front left, and CNS Liaoning, front... In this image provided by the Chinese military on October 31, 2024, China's navy conducts dual aircraft carrier operations in the South China Sea, involving aircraft carriers CNS Shandong, front left, and CNS Liaoning, front right. More Chinese military China is undergoing a rapid naval buildup to expand its military reach and presence and has conducted "very significant construction programs" of related infrastructure for its fleet over the last 10 to 15 years, Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck told Newsweek. "A closer look at the rate and type of expansion [of Chinese naval infrastructure], added facilities and total berthing space allows us to make educated assessments as to what sort of naval forces China intends to deploy from what locations," he explained. What To Know According to a Chinese military observer, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic, the expansion of Yuchi Naval Base in Qingdao in northeastern China, which is home to the country's first aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, has begun to take shape. A satellite image captured on Wednesday shows that at least four new piers are being built when compared with a year ago. These include three narrow piers, which are 131 feet wide and will possibly be primarily used to berth the Chinese destroyer fleet, the observer said. The remaining pier under construction, which is 328 feet wide, could be used by larger ships such as aircraft carriers and supply ships. The observer noted that Yulin Naval Base, which is located in Sanya in southern China and is also being expanded, does not have any additional pier for aircraft carriers, indicating there will be a second aircraft carrier homeported at Yuchi, in addition to the Liaoning. CNS Shandong, China's second aircraft carrier, is homeported at Yulin. Drag slider compare photos The yet-to-be-commissioned Chinese aircraft carrier, CNS Fujian, is currently docked at a shipyard in Shanghai in eastern China. The Chinese military has yet to announce its home port. "Any naval force is only a useful asset as long as the related infrastructure can support their operations," Luck said, adding that the enlargement of Yuchi Naval Base's berthing facilities, including those built for aircraft carriers, is the "most dramatic expansion" in recent years. American aircraft carriers are stationed at four locations: Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, Naval Air Station North Island in California, and Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, as well as Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo in Japan, which hosts USS George Washington. What People Are Saying Alex Luck, Australia-based naval analyst, told Newsweek: "The benefit of tracking infrastructure is that these efforts are generally easier to observe, including on commercial satellite imagery, compared to naval construction. The latter is still difficult to assess in some respects due to its more secretive nature…the basing infrastructure allows you to judge future scale and force mix to a reasonable extent regardless of such restrictions." Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong is seen at Yulin Naval Base in Sanya in southern China on December 17, 2019. Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong is seen at Yulin Naval Base in Sanya in southern China on December 17, 2019. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP A Chinese military observer, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic, told Newsweek: "A carrier doesn't act alone, it also needs to provide support facilities for the entire [carrier strike] group. Currently there are no bases of this size other than the homeports of the three major fleets. And there are no signs of any large-scale expansion at [Eastern Theater Command]'s Zhoushan base." The three Chinese major fleets are assigned to the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Theater Commands. Each theater navy has its subordinate submarine flotillas, surface ship flotillas, aviation units, and naval bases, the Pentagon stated in its Chinese military power report. What Happens Next It remains to be confirmed whether the Fujian will be homeported at Yuchi Naval Base after it enters service. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese naval bases capable of hosting aircraft carriers could be increased if China decided to build additional carriers in the future.
Newsweek
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Deploys Aircraft Carrier Group in Warning to US and Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China dispatched a naval group led by an aircraft carrier to the western Pacific Ocean after the United States deployed ship-sinking missiles in the Philippines for a bilateral war game. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters China has often deployed its aircraft carriers, two out of three ships in active service, to the waters beyond the first island chain—a U.S. containment strategy formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines that seeks to restrict the Chinese military's access to the Pacific Ocean. The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong sailing near Taiwan on March 31. The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong sailing near Taiwan on March 31. Taiwan Ministry of National Defense via AP The U.S. military is conducting a joint exercise in the Philippines, which involves NMESIS anti-ship missiles. These missiles are planned for a deployment on the Philippine islands in the Luzon Strait, a choke point for China's navy in the first island chain. Meanwhile, territorial disputes between the Philippines and China remain unsolved, where maritime forces from both sides have engaged in standoffs and clashes. The U.S. has made a commitment to the security of the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty signed in 1951. What To Know The Japanese Defense Ministry reported that several Chinese naval vessels, which included China's second operational aircraft carrier CNS Shandong, were spotted in the waters east of Luzon, the Philippines' largest island in the northern portion of the country, on Wednesday. A map by Newsweek shows the Chinese aircraft carrier was located within the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. It remained outside the Southeast Asian country's territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. The Philippine navy confirmed on Thursday that a pair of Chinese naval ships was spotted near the country on Tuesday—including the Shandong and CNS Tianguanxing, a Type 815A electronic surveillance ship that has the hull number 797. Both vessels were first monitored near Cagayan on Tuesday, April 22. The CV-17 (left) was tracked underway about 2.23 nautical miles SW of Babuyan Island while the AGI-797 (right) was monitored underway 33.11 nautical miles NW of Dalupiri Island | via @biancadava — ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) April 24, 2025 According to the Japanese military's report, the Chinese aircraft carrier was seen conducting flight operations with its fighter jets. The report also said one of the Shandong's escorting ships was the Type 055 destroyer CNS Yan'an, which has the hull number 106. The Shandong's deployment in the waters east of the Philippines confirmed that the Chinese aircraft carrier had transited the Luzon Strait, located between southern Taiwan and northern Philippines, connecting the South China Sea in the west and the Philippine Sea in the east. Satellite imagery also showed that the Shandong was not spotted at its home port in Sanya in the Chinese southern province of Hainan, which faces the South China Sea, as of Monday. The Shandong was last deployed from late March to early April, when it was spotted in the waters southeast of Taiwan and northeast of the Philippines during large-scale Chinese drills around Taiwan. China has threatened the use of force against the self-ruled island of Taiwan. On the other hand, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, which left the island of Guam on Monday after a port visit, was underway in the Philippine Sea as of Wednesday. The Nimitz is conducting a regularly scheduled western Pacific deployment. What People Are Saying The Pentagon's report on China's military power said: "In April 2023, the [People's Liberation Army]'s second aircraft carrier, Shandong, held its first far seas deployment outside of the [first island chain], followed by two more deployments in September and November that broke aircraft sortie rate records." The U.S. Navy said on Wednesday: "Nimitz is underway in the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." What Happens Next As the American and Chinese militaries continue to operate in the western Pacific Ocean, they are likely to have further encounters at sea and in the air.
