China to build supercarrier

A Korean newspaper is reporting that the China is planning a 93,000 ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be built at China State Shipbuilding Corp?s (CSSC) Jiangnan Shipyard for completion by 2020. Jiangnan shipyard is located on Changxing Island, near Shanghai, and will be responsible for its design and construction.

If China completes the carrier, it would give the Chinese Navy a carrier roughly on par with the U.S. Nimitz class carriers which are roughly 97,000 tons in displacement. China is currently building a mid-sized conventional carrier, to be completed by 2010which will displace 48,000 tons standard and 64,000 tons fully loaded. The conventional carrier will be a modified version of the Soviet-built Varyag which the Chinese have been modifying at CSSC?s Dalian Shipyard since the Ukrainians sold it to them. Dalian Shipyard will be designing and building the conventional carrier and, once completed, the hull of the Varyag will be used for carrier landing exercises.