Hong Kong CNN —China appears to have built a new and unusual aircraft carrier, intriguing experts with a potentially first-of-its-kind vessel that could further increase Beijing’s rapidly expanding maritime power. This potential new aircraft carrier “is of a somewhat unusual shape and size – much smaller than China’s previous naval aircraft carriers,” said Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy submarine commander and now a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Another view of the satellite imagery captured on October 23, 2024, showing a potentially new class of a Chinese aircraft carrier at a shipyard in the southeastern end of the country. Only the United States Navy operates aircraft carriers bigger than the Fujian. Conducted in the South China Sea, the exercise was “aiming to enhance the integrated combat capability of the aircraft carrier formations” and was “part of the Liaoning aircraft carrier formation’s regular real-combat training in the high seas,” Xinhua said.

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Persons: ”, Thomas Shugart, Shugart, –, Beijing’s, Carl Schuster, Schuster, ” Schuster, ” Song Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Planet Labs, Guangzhou Shipyard, US, Center, New, New American Security, Planet Labs PBC China, People’s Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, supercarriers, United States Navy, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “, PLA, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence, China Coast Guard, Beijing, Coast Guard, Communist Party, Xinhua, Liaoning, US Navy, Global Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Guangdong, New American, Fujian, Shandong, Liaoning, Naval, Washington, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, Matsu, South, South China, Xinhua