--- title: "China’s Giant Land-Based Carrier Mockup Grows In Size, Now Resembles Ford Class" description: "The full-size aircraft carrier test facility in Wuhan is now a better approximation of China’s latest and future flattop designs. The modified land-based aircraft carrier test facility should be a better approximation of China’s latest and future flattop designs." date: "2025-04-16" modified: "2025-04-16" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/chinas-giant-land-based-carrier-mockup-grows-in-size-now-resembles-ford-class" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "China" - "Ford Class" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Kuznetsov Class (and variants)" - "Liaoning (16)" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "People's Liberation Army Navy (China)" - "Sea" - "Shandong (17)" - "USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)" --- # China’s Giant Land-Based Carrier Mockup Grows In Size, Now Resembles Ford Class ![China’s full-size aircraft carrier test facility, a key part of the country’s path toward establishing a carrier fleet and associated air wings, has been modified once again. The latest reworking suggests that the aircraft carrier mockup is now intended to represent a layout similar to the U.S. Navy’s Ford class. This may well point to the configuration of China’s next homegrown carrier design, or at least one of the configurations now under study.]() *Google Earth* China’s full-size, land-based [aircraft carrier test facility](), a key part of the country’s path toward establishing a carrier fleet and associated air wings, is being modified once again, and this time in a massive way. The extensive reworking and expansion of the unique facility suggests that the aircraft carrier mockup is now intended to represent a layout similar to the [U.S. Navy’s *Ford* class](). This likely coincides with the configuration of [China’s next, more advanced, homegrown carrier design](). A satellite photo of the land-based aircraft carrier mockup in Wuhan, taken on April 6, shows the changes that have taken place, including a much greater overall flight-deck width, and the island superstructure redesigned and moved further aft, as on the *Ford* class. So significant is the extra width, meanwhile, that the edges of the deck now extend out to or even over the adjacent road. ![]() *A composite image provides a comparison of the aircraft carrier mockup in 2020 (left) and as it appeared earlier this month. The relocation of the island superstructure is particularly obvious. *PHOTO © 2020 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION/Google Earth** The primary role of the aircraft carrier mockup is to evaluate different aircraft designs for potential use at sea, including how they will fit and be moved around on the carrier’s deck. It should also be noted that the structure sits atop a building, something not immediately obvious from satellite imagery. On the deck in the latest image are mockups of various aircraft, although these are covered with tarpaulins or some other material, making it hard to identify them definitively. At least one of the mockups is a [J-15 Flanker]() series carrier-based fighter, while another looks to be a [J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter](), and another a [KJ-600]() carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Mockups of this kind are frequently used in carrier development work in China, both [on land]() and [at sea](). ![]() *Aircraft mockups arranged around the dummy deck, with this angle, also provide a good view of the island superstructure, as it appeared around 2021. *via Chinese Internet** https://twitter.com/RupprechtDeino/status/1116783112053317634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1116783112053317634%7Ctwgr%5E4af5a2cfb0020bb199d69cb272cda66f84173785%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2F40992%2Fmockup-of-chinas-stealthy-fc-31-fighter-appears-on-full-size-aircraft-carrier-testing-rig In the past, an apparent mockup of China’s stealthy [GJ-11 Sharp Sword]() unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has also appeared aboard the land-based carrier mockup, as you can read about [here](). https://twitter.com/RupprechtDeino/status/1737149620097012039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1737149620097012039%7Ctwgr%5E7f2d92c7fb71a5e6def288189f431e08b26d8ce7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fmockup-of-chinese-stealth-drone-appears-on-full-size-aircraft-carrier-test-rig Work with radio emissions and other testing is also done at the facility. When it first appeared, the full-size aircraft carrier mockup broadly replicated the design of the Type 001 and Type 002 carriers. The [Type 001 *Liaoning*]() (CV-16), the first vessel of this type to be operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), was acquired from Ukraine as an incomplete Soviet [*Kuznetsov* class ship](), the *Varyag*. The next PLAN carrier to enter service, the [Type 002 *Shandong*]() (CV-17), was built in China but was still modeled closely on the Type 001. ![]() *The PLAN aircraft carrier *Liaoning* during a new training mission in July 2017. *Xinhua/Zeng Tao via Getty Images* The Chinese aircraft carrier *Liaoning* during a training mission in 2017. *Xinhua/Zeng Tao via Getty Images** Subsequently, Wuhan’s aircraft carrier mock-up was modified to better resemble China’s next carrier, the [Type 003 *Fujian*]() (CV-18). This introduced a different configuration, with no bow takeoff ramp. Instead, the Type 003 marks the PLAN’s switch to catapult-assisted takeoff but arrested recovery, or CATOBAR, operations. ![]() *A view of the aircraft carrier mockup after the takeoff ramp at the bow was leveled. *via Chinese Internet** Now, it seems, the facility is being prepared for tests of China’s next-generation aircraft carrier, [generally referred to as the Type 004](). At the same time, the remodeling should also provide a better representation of the *Fujian*, a vessel that is still [undergoing pre-service trials](). In fact, the new Type 004 carrier may well already be under construction. In February of this year, *TWZ* [reported]() on how construction work at a shipyard in Dalian, seen in satellite imagery dating back to May 2024, revealed a module consistent with an aircraft carrier — or otherwise related to the testing of such a vessel. ![]() *Construction work at a shipyard in Dalian, in China’s Liaoning province, reveals a module that is consistent with an aircraft carrier — presumed to be the Type 004, or otherwise intended to test aspects of its design. *Google Earth** Based on this module, it appears likely that the Type 004 will be loosely modeled after the *Ford* class, at least in terms of having two waist catapults, in addition to the two bow catapults. This will provide an extra catapult compared with the *Fujian*, which has a single catapult in the waist position. ![]() *A view of the USS *Gerald R. Ford* showing the four catapults found on U.S. Navy supercarriers. *U.S. Navy** In the past, a *Ford*-style design also appeared in concept art from the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The [carrier shown in that artwork]() had some broad external similarities with the *Ford*, as well as with France’s [future New Generation Aircraft Carrier](). However, not too much should be read into this, especially since it appears that the Type 004 might now be under construction in Dalian, rather than in Shanghai. Still, the appearance of a superstructure far to the rear on the Wuhan mockup is indicative that this design element could appear on the Type 004. Whatever the final configuration of the Type 004 — and, at this early stage, we really don’t know for sure — previous suggestions hinted that the new carrier could enter service sometime in the late 2020s. ![]() *An artist’s concept of a future Chinese aircraft carrier. *Chinese internet via @HenriKenhmann** The Type 004 is expected to be a more advanced design than its predecessors, including the *Fujian*, the country’s first truly domestically designed and produced carrier, which is [still preparing]() for operational service. Like the *Fujian*, the Type 004 will be equipped to[ launch aircraft via catapults](). This is in contrast to the PLAN’s two previous carriers — the *Shandong* and the *Liaoning*, which are both short takeoff but arrested recovery, or STOBAR, types with prominent ‘ski jump’ takeoff ramps. As we have [discussed in the past](), catapults offer many advantages over STOBAR, especially when it comes to launching aircraft at higher gross weights, which translates to larger fuel and ordnance loads. They can also generally accommodate a wider array of aircraft types, too. This includes larger and slower designs, like the KJ-600 AEW&C aircraft, as well as smaller ones, such as drones. ![]() *A satellite view of a prototype KJ-600. *via Chinese Internet** It’s assumed that the Type 004 will use an advanced [electromagnetic aircraft launch system]() (EMALS), provided it [proves to be successful on the *Fujian*](). Otherwise, this type of equipment is currently only in use with the U.S. Navy. Other new developments for the Type 004 will address its air wing, which is expected to host [various drones](), such as [navalized versions]() of the GJ-11 Sharp Sword UCAV. These will be in addition to the aforementioned KJ-600, various different advanced versions of the J-15, and the J-35, plus [helicopters](). Less clear is what type of propulsion the Type 004 will use, although there have been repeated reports that it will be a nuclear-powered vessel. This would be a first for a PLAN carrier and would guarantee an effectively unlimited range, as well as help meet the power-generation demands of ever-improving sensors and other mission systems. In its most recent [assessment of Chinese military power](), the Pentagon doesn’t explicitly mention the Type 004, but does state that the PLAN is “in the beginning stages of operating its multi-carrier force.” It also notes that the *Fujian* is just the first warship within a “next generation of carriers” that will be characterized by “greater endurance and an electromagnetic catapult launch system, making them capable of launching various types of specialized fixed-wing aircraft for missions, such as airborne early warning and electronic warfare. This will increase the striking power of a potential PLAN carrier battle group when deployed to areas beyond the PRC’s immediate periphery.” At this point, we cannot be certain that the module seen under construction at Dalian is indeed made to resemble the Type 004, although it seems likely. However, this development, as well as the changes to the land-based aircraft carrier mockup in Wuhan, certainly point to activities related to China’s next domestically produced carrier design are accelerating. *Contact the author: [thomas@thewarzone.com]()* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()