Satellite images show China is expanding shipyard ‘to build more aircraft carriers’
- Washington-based think tank CSIS believes hull assembly of Type 002 warship should be finished within 12 months
- Vessel would then be moved to a newly built harbour and wharf for fitting
New satellite images show China is making fast progress on its third aircraft carrier and expanding the shipyard where it is being built – potentially for more huge ships, according to analysts.
The high-resolution images of the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai were taken last month by the Washington-based think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). They show construction work on the vessel, the Type 002, in the shipyard’s dry dock, with a series of prefabricated sections, bulkheads and other components stacked nearby, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Based on the images, the CSIS believes that the hull assembly should be finished within 12 months and that the ship would then be moved to a newly built harbour and wharf for fitting.
China has yet to officially announce the details of the Type 002, but state media has confirmed it is being built.
