China begins construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

Vantor imagery showing a possible nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) under construction in a dry dock at Dalian in China. Two possible reactor containment vessels are visible. (Satellite image © 2025 Vantor/© 2025 Janes)

China has begun constructing its fourth aircraft carrier and features seen in satellite images point to a ship with a nuclear propulsion system.

Janes preliminary analysis of these satellite images suggests that the carrier is being constructed at the Dalian Shipyard in the country's Liaoning province, and work on the prefabricated hull modules likely began in early 2025.

By mid-2025, a number of section assemblies including the carrier's keel and bottom blocks began appearing in the dry dock.

By November 2025, two distinct compartments measuring 15×15 m can be seen forming around the block erections.

This suggests that China's fourth aircraft carrier will rely on twin nuclear reactors for propulsion.

These compartments appear to have been built with multilayered shielding, and these likely comprise a combination of borated materials and high-density metals.

This development is in line with an earlier analysis of satellite imagery published by Janes in October 2025, which posited that China's fourth aircraft carrier will feature nuclear propulsion given features seen on the full-scale carrier mock-up in Wuhan.

The mock-up is located within the 701st Research Institute and is used by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to rehearse deck operations and logistical workflows.

Satellite images from July 2025 indicate that the mock-up island superstructure has been shifted towards the aft, which is consistent with a design associated with nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

Based on the completed sections seen in the dry dock, the fourth aircraft carrier will likely displace about 100,000 tonnes at full load.