When asked by a reporter about the news of our fourth aircraft carrier, the political commissar of the Navy replied to the effect that whether the fourth aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered will be announced soon, and we have not encountered a bottleneck in the construction of aircraft carriers.
Of course, the absence of bottlenecks in technology does not mean the construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, but the fact that there are no bottlenecks in our aircraft carrier construction technology. And whether the fourth aircraft carrier is nuclear-powered or not is unknown.
At present, China has three aircraft carriers in service or under construction, namely the Liaoning and Shandong ships that have taken off in a glide jump, and the Fujian ships that have adopted a straight deck.
The reason why everyone cares about whether the next aircraft carrier is conventionally powered or nuclear-powered is because a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can be called a supercarrier. Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have very obvious advantages over conventionally powered aircraft carriers, otherwise the Soviet Union and the United States would not have developed in the direction of nuclear power.
At present, there are two countries in the world that have nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, one is the United States, and the other is France. The French introduced the much smaller Charles de Gaulle, a 42000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. And decades ago, the Soviets did try to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier called "Ulyanovsk". Sadly, their country ceased to exist halfway through construction, and the ship was scrapped at the slipway.
So what are the advantages of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers?
The Americans have published a set of data on the fuel usage of US Navy battleships when their speed rises from 15 to 30 knots. At less than 20 knots, in order to obtain a speed of 1 knot, the additional fuel burned is significantly increased compared to above 25 knots.
In the case of a 60,000-ton Iowa-class battleship, the speed will increase from 16 knots to 18 knots, and 2 knots, fuel consumption will increase by 28%. But at the top end, increasing the speed from 28 to 30 knots and the same 2 knots increases fuel consumption by 45%. It can be seen that the fuel consumption demand of conventionally powered warships will increase exponentially as the speed increases.
In addition to having unlimited endurance, its nuclear reactor can also provide the ship with more space for aviation fuel, munitions and supplies.
While nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are more expensive to build, they reduce the need for refueling. This means that a 100,000-ton aircraft carrier only needs to fuel its carrier-based aircraft and feed its crew. Significantly reduces the need for fuel transportation over its service life, which means it is less dependent on supply ships, which is why nuclear propulsion is ideal for aircraft carriers.
Why are aircraft carriers so important?
For world powers, aircraft carriers have the ability to protect overseas interests. Taking the United States as an example, the United States not only uses aircraft carriers to maintain its maritime supremacy, but can also send aircraft carriers in wartime to protect its economic interests in belligerent countries, such as factories and oil fields. Because the carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier can be on duty at any time to perform tasks, forming an air deterrent.
In developing aircraft carriers, China not only protects its overseas interests during sensitive periods, but also plays the role of defending the country. China has a long coastline and abundant marine resources, and large surface ships such as aircraft carriers can cover a large area. An aircraft carrier is like a small movable island in the sea, ready to appear where it is needed at any time with carrier-based aircraft.
At present, there are not many countries in the world that have developed aircraft carriers, and the reasons for this are nothing more than three points: high construction costs, high technical difficulties, and high maintenance costs. Therefore, after the British built two Queen Elizabeth classes, they stopped construction, and even rumored to be sold at one point.
Therefore, the development of aircraft carriers, whether it is conventional power or nuclear power, is a complex project, and no matter which one is chosen, it is the result of demonstration, like the United Kingdom, which also has nuclear power technology, why choose conventional power, is also based on realistic choice. Therefore, as for what kind of power system to choose for our fourth ship, it will definitely be based on reality and make the best choice.