China's third aircraft carrier, Project 003, is now nearing finalization and will be commissioned in 2024 and officially commissioned by 2026. As China's first general-powered aircraft carrier using electromagnetic catapult technology, the Chinese Navy's combat effectiveness at sea will be greatly improved.
However, there is no exact information about the new generation of Chinese aircraft carrier 004. The question is often asked, will China's next aircraft carrier be built with nuclear power or traditional energy?
This is a complex issue, and nuclear power and traditional energy sources have their own advantages and disadvantages, and they are also related to China's military needs and scientific and technological strength. Next, let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power and traditional energy, and what choices China's navy will make.
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy.
And as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, its biggest advantage is that it can sail for a long time. The nuclear energy reactor on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can bring almost infinite energy to the aircraft carrier, allowing it to carry out a voyage of tens of thousands of kilometers at the fastest speed, without any supplement, and even go around the earth. This range allows it to respond quickly to various contingencies in the world and to conduct high-intensity aerial combat at sea.
In addition, as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it has a large amount of jet fuel. Nuclear aircraft carriers do not need to be loaded with too much ship fuel, which can effectively extend their combat range, extend their endurance, and improve their overall combat effectiveness.
However, as a nuclear submarine, it still has a lot of shortcomings. First of all, a nuclear submarine is expensive, difficult to maintain, and has great safety risks. The nuclear power plant of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is a high-tech equipment that requires high design, manufacturing, and management. Due to the long construction time of nuclear power, the high cost, and the need for regular maintenance and maintenance, its operating cost is high, and the maintenance cost is also high. In addition, because the nuclear power plant itself has many safety risks such as radioactivity and nuclear contamination, if there is an accident, the harm will be very serious.
Secondly, its poor navigation has affected its application field. Because nuclear power plants need to be repaired, replaced, and other repairs are required, the flight speed of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is lower than that of ordinary aircraft carriers. According to U.S. data, conventional aircraft carriers can exceed 35 percent range, compared to 22 to 25 percent for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. This means that in the same number of aircraft carriers, traditional energy aircraft carriers can have many more aircraft carriers. In addition, due to the strict control imposed by some countries or regions, they are not allowed to freely enter and leave their waters or harbors, which has created certain restrictions on the scope of their activities.
Advantages and disadvantages of conventional electricity.
Relatively speaking, the advantages and disadvantages of traditional energy aircraft carriers are completely opposite. The biggest advantage of traditional energy aircraft carriers is that they are low cost, easy to maintain, and high in safety. Traditional aircraft carriers use steam turbines or gas turbines as energy sources, which are more advanced, easier to build and construct, and have no problems such as radioactivity and nuclear pollution. Therefore, the construction time of traditional energy carriers is less, the cost is lower, the maintenance demand is less, and there is no need to repair and replace it frequently, thereby reducing the operating cost and reducing the difficulty of maintenance. In addition, conventional energy aircraft carriers are not subject to nuclear security threats and can sail freely in any country and region.
Another advantage of traditional energy aircraft carriers is that they sail fast and can be used by many aircraft carriers. Traditional aircraft carriers do not need to repair, replace energy equipment, or do other maintenance work, so the in-flight rate is higher than that of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. According to U.S. data, conventional aircraft carriers can exceed 35 percent range, compared to 22 to 25 percent for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. This means that in the same number of aircraft carriers, traditional energy aircraft carriers can have many more aircraft carriers.
However, traditional aircraft carriers also have a lot of drawbacks. First of all, traditional energy sources are used as carriers of energy, which have a shorter range and less fuel reserves. The energy required by an ordinary energy carrier for its energy system is very large, so at the speed of an aircraft carrier, it is necessary to fill up the tank about once a week, and the amount of each refueling is about more than 10,000 tons. In doing so, it will not only take several hours, but also cause a great burden on the logistics of the entire fleet, and will also take up a lot of fuel and fuel, which will lead to a decrease in the combat capability of the aircraft carrier. If it's a long voyage, such as across most of the world, you'll need to resupply once or twice during that time. This means that they have to slow down during long-distance flights, which makes them maneuver longer on the surface and their reflexes worse.
China's alternative.
In short, nuclear energy and traditional energy sources have their own advantages, and there is no good or bad, just whether it is suitable or not. China should make a choice based on its own strategic needs and its own scientific and technological strength.
In the long run, China's maritime power will become stronger, the number of aircraft carriers will increase, and the development of nuclear energy will become faster and faster. In order to enhance China's combat strength and strategic deterrence in the world, China should also seriously study the construction of a nuclear aircraft carrier.
The construction and operation of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is not only a technical problem, but also a strategic choice. To build and operate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it is necessary not only to have strong financial and technological strength, but also to have strong strategic self-confidence and strategic decision-making capabilities.
China's nuclear submarine is not trying to compete with the navies of the United States and other major powers, nor is it showing off its force, but it is defending its own sovereignty, rights and interests, and the tranquility and development of its motherland.
China's nuclear submarine was not built and put into operation overnight, it will take some time to build. On the basis of having a number of nuclear aircraft carriers, China's navy should gradually build up a complete nuclear aircraft carrier system through experiments and training.
The construction and operation of China's nuclear submarines is not a success, it will be a continuous development process. The Chinese Navy should adapt itself to the development and needs of the world situation, and make appropriate arrangements for it in a timely manner, so as to further improve its capabilities and structure in all aspects, so as to further enhance its operational efficiency and safety.
Generally speaking, China's new-generation aircraft carriers will follow the path of developing both nuclear and traditional fronts, and while giving full play to their advantages, they will also develop their own potentials to meet the needs of current combat and at the same time take into account the needs of future wars.
This approach is consistent not only with the current situation of China's navy, but also with China's development purpose.