The third aircraft carrier being planned for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will also be China's first conventional carrier featuring a lengthy, horizontal flight deck and a catapult launch system that allows combat aircraft to carrier more weapons.

A photograph in Chinese online forums revealed that China's aircraft carrier mock-up on an air base in Wuhan, Hubei Province, has been modified by the removal of the ski-jump section. This change is fueling speculation the mock-up is being modified into a carrier flight deck similar to those in U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

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U.S. Navy carriers use powerful steam catapults to hurl fighter jets laden with missiles and bombs into the air in a short distance. This tremendous acceleration isn't possible with ski-jump flight decks such as the one aboard China's only carrier, the Liaoning.

As a result, China's Shenyang J-15 fighter jets designed specifically for naval aviation carry far lighter weapons loads compared to U.S. combat aircraft. The third Chinese carrier, identified as Type 003, will apparently remedy this defect.

Satellite photos in 2015 of the Huangdicun Airbase reveal facilities assessed to be catapults. This is seems to indicate future Chinese carriers will have catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) systems.

The two systems being installed at Huangdicun might be steam-powered and electromagnetic catapults. Both suggest a final decision on which system to adopt hasn't been taken.

Construction of China's third carrier will take place at the Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard near Shanghai.

There hasn't been official confirmation of the carrier's construction or visible evidence of any work related to this project. There is, however, much speculation that production of the initial modules for the carrier is progress.

The third carrier will likely have a larger aircraft complement than the Liaoning or the modified second carrier, the Type 002 that will still have the ski jump.

The Liaoning can embark 36 aircraft: 24 Shenyang J-15 fighters; 6 Changhe Z-18F anti-submarine warfare helicopters; 4 Changhe Z-18J airborne early warning helicopters and 2 Harbin Z-9C rescue helicopters.

TagsType 003 aircraft carrier, People's Liberation Army Navy, U.S. Navy, Shenyang J-15 fighter jets, PLAN, Liaoning