From "Carrier Battle Group" to Nuclear-Powered Ambitions: The Historic Leap of China's Naval Carrier Aviation Force

On May 9, 2026, during a routine press conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Defense, spokesperson Colonel Jiang Bin provided the clearest official confirmation to date in response to a reporter's question about the "aircraft carrier five-piece set." This systematic equipment group, consisting of stealth carrier-based fighter jets, multi-role catapult carrier-based fighter jets, fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft, fixed-wing electronic warfare aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters, was defined by Jiang Bin as "an important part of forming the operational capability of aircraft carrier battle groups and a significant achievement in the accelerated transformation and construction of the People's Navy." Behind these few words reflects the rare leap in development that the Chinese Navy has achieved over the past two years, which can be considered unprecedented in the history of naval forces worldwide.

Looking back at 2025, the pace of development of the Chinese Navy's aviation forces was astonishing. On November 5, 2025, China's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, the Fujian (hull number 18), was officially commissioned, with President Xi Jinping personally attending the commissioning ceremony in Hainan. Less than a month after its commissioning, the Fujian conducted its first live training at sea, with the J-35 stealth fighter, J-15T catapult multi-role fighter, J-15DT electronic warfare aircraft, KJ-600 fixed-wing early warning aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters—collectively referred to by the media as the "aircraft carrier five-piece set"—successfully completing electromagnetic catapult takeoffs and arrested landings. This speed has caused a stir among military observers: from the commissioning of a completely independently designed and built new aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system to the completion of training for five different types of carrier-based aircraft, the entire process took less than six months.

Particularly noteworthy is the progress of the J-35 stealth carrier-based fighter. In mid-April 2026, rare close-range air-to-air images of two J-35s flying in a tight formation circulated online, clearly showing the "People's Navy" insignia and the "Flying Shark" badge on the vertical stabilizers, with serial numbers "0011" and "0012." Former PLA instructor and military commentator Song Zhongping analyzed that these markings indicate that the J-35 has entered the initial production stage in small batches and has officially been incorporated into the naval carrier aviation forces. As the second stealth carrier-based fighter in the world after the U.S. F-35C, the induction of the J-35 represents a qualitative leap in the offensive and defensive capabilities of China's aircraft carrier battle groups.

However, the ambitions of the Chinese Navy extend far beyond this. On April 22, 2026, coinciding with the 77th anniversary of the Navy's founding, the PLA released a themed promotional video that strongly suggested through CG displays and subtitles that China's fourth aircraft carrier will be powered by nuclear propulsion. If this information is confirmed, China will become the third country in the world, after the United States and France, to possess nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Multiple sources of intelligence indicate that China's fourth aircraft carrier, referred to as the Type 004, is currently under construction at the Dalian Shipyard, expected to be launched around 2027 and enter service around 2030. The ship is expected to have a displacement of over 100,000 tons, utilize a dual-reactor design, and carry optimized versions of the J-35 and J-15 series, as well as a new generation of carrier-based drones.

Another noteworthy signal from this press conference is China's response to changes in the regional security landscape. In response to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's recent visits to Australia and Vietnam, where he proposed a so-called new version of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" concept and pushed for constitutional amendments, Jiang Bin criticized with rare strong language: "Japanese right-wing forces are gradually tearing off their disguise, shifting from covert military expansion to open preparations for war. The new militarism in Japan poses an increasingly evident threat to regional peace." The context for this statement is the recent joint declaration by Japan's Defense Minister and the Philippines' Defense Secretary, accusing China of so-called "dangerous coercion" in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and for the first time launching offensive missiles outside Japan. The strong reaction from the Chinese Ministry of Defense indicates that Beijing's tolerance for military collusion between Japan and the Philippines is significantly decreasing.

At the same time, military cooperation between China and Pakistan continues to deepen. During the press conference, Jiang Bin confirmed that the first "Qilin" class conventional submarine built for Pakistan has been delivered in Sanya, with high-ranking military and political officials, including Pakistan's President Zardari and Chief of Naval Staff, attending the ceremony. This marks the first export of Chinese conventional submarines to Pakistan, signifying an extension of China-Pakistan defense cooperation from land and air domains to underwater capabilities. From a broader strategic perspective, the China-Pakistan "Qilin" class project, the upcoming "Strike-2026" joint army training to be held in Thailand in mid-May, and the recent organization of joint combat readiness patrols by the PLA's naval and air forces around Taiwan, as well as the entry of main battle ship formations into the southwestern waters of the Penghu Islands, collectively outline China's construction of a multi-layered and multi-dimensional military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

From a technical perspective, the rapid development of China's carrier aviation capabilities is attributed to several key breakthroughs. First is the medium-voltage direct current electromagnetic catapult system developed by Academician Ma Weiming's team, which, according to public information, has an energy conversion efficiency of up to 90%, far exceeding the approximately 60% efficiency of the medium-voltage alternating current system used in the U.S. Ford-class carriers. In land-based tests, this system achieved a record of 3,000 catapults with zero failures. Secondly, the combined application of flywheel energy storage and supercapacitors allows the conventionally powered Fujian to withstand instantaneous power demands equivalent to the hourly electricity consumption of a medium-sized city when all four catapults are operating simultaneously. These technological breakthroughs have improved the sortie efficiency of carrier-based aircraft by approximately 25% compared to the ski-jump deck era, with a maximum daily sortie capacity of up to 300 aircraft.

From a strategic perspective, the formation of the "aircraft carrier five-piece set" and the planning of the fourth nuclear-powered aircraft carrier signify that the Chinese Navy is fully transforming from "near-seas defense" to "far-seas protection." Currently, the Chinese Navy possesses over 370 various types of vessels, including 3 aircraft carriers, 8 Type 055 destroyers, and more than 40 Type 052D and 052DL destroyers, making its surface combat power the largest in the world. As the operational capabilities of aircraft carrier battle groups mature, the Chinese Navy's regular presence in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific will further strengthen. For the United States and its allies, which have long aimed to contain China through the "Indo-Pacific Strategy," this indicates a substantial shift in the strategic balance.

Of course, it is also important to recognize the challenges facing the Chinese Navy. The construction and operational experience of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers require long-term accumulation, the logistics support system for carrier battle groups at sea still needs improvement, and the large-scale training of carrier-based pilots and deck personnel will take time. The U.S. Navy has over 80 years of aircraft carrier combat experience and an inventory advantage with 11 nuclear-powered supercarriers, making it difficult to shake this dominance in the short term. However, from a developmental momentum perspective, the "Chinese speed" created by the Chinese Navy has rendered the traditional timeline for military modernization no longer applicable—China is narrowing the capability gap with the U.S. Navy at an unprecedented pace.