China may launch its third aircraft carrier in June, as per satellite photos clicked by Maxar Technologies, which also suggested that the vessel could be afloat either within weeks or even days.
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The vessel, expected to be named Jiangsu, will allow China to mount pressure on Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific by increasing its naval presence in the South and East China Seas. This is China’s second domestically built aircraft carrier after the Liaoning.
Following the addition of Jiangsu, China will have three aircraft carriers becoming the world’s largest fleet of carriers after the US. Jiangsu is likely to be commissioned as early as 2024.
Xi Jinping, according to military experts speaking to Nikkei Asia, is likely to use the Jiangsu to attack Taiwan by deploying it to the Pacific Ocean to attack it from the east.
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The expert also explained that Taiwanese military stations much of its forces to the east of the island’s central mountain range, using it as a protective shield against a potential attack from China but once Jiangsu takes to the seas it could change the situation entirely.
The carrier also could cut the US from sending its own aircraft carriers and reinforcements.
The Maxar Technologies pictures also detected changes at the shipyard where the carrier is being built which indicate that it is almost ready.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report that this will be a seminal moment for China and its president Xi Jinping who are ramping up their efforts to modernize the Chinese military.
One of key features of the Jiangsu is that it is the first carrier to be fitted with an electromagnetic catapult which will enable the Chinese army to launch aircrafts in quick succession while using deck space sparsely allowing more aircrafts and enhancing the strike capability of the carrier.
The Liaoning and the Shandong, use ski jumps, which are easier to make but require more space.
The US’ newest nuclear-powered carriers have electromagnetic catapults but they are prone to breakdowns and require sophisticated technology to operate.
Japanese government officials familiar with the developments told Nikkei Asia that they found it hard to believe that China will put the electromagnetic catapult to practical use citing the operational difficulties that the US military has faced with the apparatus.
The person also doubted whether Jiangsu would be capable of powering the energy-intensive system since it runs conventional fuel.
The Jiangsu will expand China’s strategic options and is likely to play an important role in China’s A2/AD capabilities where the PLA uses the strategy of combining ships, missiles and sensors to prevent adversaries from approaching China’s shores.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy could deploy a ‘carrier strike group, including destroyers and submarines, to multiple regions at once’ once Jiangsu is ready.
(with inputs from Nikkei and Associated Press)
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