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China to launch its largest and most advanced aircraft carrier—the Type 003. Photo: CSIS

Shanghai shipyard clears the docks ahead of expected carrier launch

  • The Jiangnan yard, which resumed work in the middle of the city’s Covid lockdown, said that it had launched or floated five vessels this week
  • The Type 003 warship is expected to be launched on Friday’s Dragon Boat Festival
The Shanghai shipyard that is putting the finishing touches to China’s new aircraft carrier announced on Wednesday that it had launched three ships this week.
The announcement on the Jiangnan shipyard’s WeChat account – which coincided with the end of the city’s prolonged lockdown – said that on Monday it had launched a large container and two ethane carriers as well as floating two gas carrier platforms ready for the next phase of construction.

The WeChat report followed a notice issued by the Maritime Safety Administration on last Friday, saying the No 3 and No 4 docks of the shipyard would be cleared for an operation involving five large vessels.

China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 003 is reported to be under construction in the yard.

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A source familiar with China’s aircraft carrier projects said the operation appeared designed to prepare the way for the launch of the carrier, which is expected to be held on Friday, the same day as the Dragon Boat Festival.

“Once the Type 003 is launched and goes for sea trials, one more huge dry dock will be released, allowing Jiangnan shipyard to have more space and manpower to build giant commercial vessels,” said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

“The shipyard grabbed many orders to build commercial vessel in the first quarter of this year. They need to make up for lost time after the Covid-19 lockdowns.”

Four of the vessels launched or floated on Monday are large-sized liquefied natural gas carriers with a capacity of 86,000 to 99,000 cubic metres – a sign that China will increasingly rely on ships to transport resources, according to Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at the Taiwanese Naval Academy.

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“As the world’s most energy-hungry country, China’s existing oil and natural gas pipelines are not enough to meet the rapid increase in demand,” Lu said.

“More resources being shipped by sea means Beijing needs a powerful blue water navy to escort the country’s lifeline on the high seas.”

Jiangnan shipyard resumed work in late April under a semi closed-off management system, with all employees being required to show negative PCR test results taken within the past seven days before returning to work.

Unlike the country’s other carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, the new aircraft carrier is equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system.

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It is expected to be named the Jiangsu, in line with the protocol of naming the vessels after coastal provinces from north to south.

However, there have also been suggestions that it may instead be named the Hubei because the PLA Naval University of Engineering, where the launch catapult was developed, is located in the provincial capital of Wuhan.

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