New Chinese Largest Aircraft Carrier Launch Imminent: The Power of Chinese Navy

According to satellite imagery received by The War Zone from Planet Labs, the highly anticipated launch of China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier to date, currently known as the Type 003, is likely to take place in the very near future. On June 14, at 7:21 a.m. CST, or 3:21 p.m. local time in Shanghai, the image in question was captured. It is the morning of June 15 in that city at the time of publication. The photo shows the Type 003 carrier in a now-flooded dry dock in Shanghai, where it is currently in the final stages of development. The catapults, as well as flags placed over its island and down its side, as well as those along the perimeter of the flight deck, are all clearly visible. All of this is consistent with what has been seen during prior Chinese aircraft carrier and other significant military launches. The exact timing for the Type 003’s launch, which began in the mid-2010s at Jiangnan Shipyard, has recently been the subject of much discussion. Experts and spectators sp