Satellite Photos Show Locations of China's Aircraft Carriers

New satellite imagery showing China's aircraft carriers has emerged online as the world watches Beijing's maritime activities.

On Sunday, an open-source satellite imagery analyst, Charlie B, shared images on X, formerly Twitter, of China's three aircraft carriers, Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.

Liaoning and Shandong have been active in Beijing's naval operations near the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Fujian, China's latest aircraft carrier, is being prepared for its first sea trials.

The carriers are part of a broader effort by Beijing to transform its naval capabilities. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is aiming to develop a "blue-water" navy, capable of projecting power well beyond its immediate maritime surroundings.

Achieving this necessitates rapid advancement in aircraft carrier technology to narrow the gap with the U.S. Navy, considered the benchmark for maritime power.

The new satellite imagery shows Liaoning in the Bohai Sea, according to Charlie B on X. Newsweek couldn't confirm the exact location of the Liaoning. The Fujian is shown at Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard, where the aircraft carrier was seen on February 18, Newsweek previously reported. The new imagery also shows that the Shandong was seen at the Sanya Naval Base on March 17.

The Liaoning embarked on a series of sea trials in the Yellow Sea from February 29 to March 6, as reported by the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po.

These marked the carrier's return to operational status following a year of maintenance and upgrades at the Dalian Shipyard. Assisted by tugboats, the Liaoning left its pier at noon on February 29.

The Liaoning, originally constructed by the Soviet Navy, found its way into Chinese hands in unusual circumstances.

In 1998, a Chinese travel agency acquired the unfinished hull of the ship, which was then transported from Ukraine to China in 2001. After extensive refitting, the vessel was officially commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy in 2012, becoming China's first aircraft carrier.

Recent photographs published by Wen Wei Po showed a mockup of China's advanced J-35 fighter jet and a J-15 fighter on the Liaoning's deck. The images underscore China's push to integrate airpower with the three carriers.

Attention also turned to the Fujian, China's second domestically built aircraft carrier, after it was featured on Xinwen Lianbo, a prime-time news bulletin by the state broadcaster China Central Television.

Classified as a Type 003, the Fujian mirrors the size of U.S. Navy supercarriers, though it lacks nuclear propulsion, among other mature capabilities. Currently undergoing mooring trials, the Fujian is testing its steam-based propulsion system, with analysts anticipating its imminent maiden sea trials.

In December, aerial photos taken from a commercial plane over the Jiangnan Shipyard, where the Fujian was constructed, revealed what appeared to be a J-35 mock-up on the carrier's deck. This came a month after a video showed early tests of the ship's electromagnetic catapult, part of its catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) launch system.

The Fujian's CATOBAR system is set to replace the "ski-jump ramps" on the Soviet-designed Liaoning and Shandong.

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, Shandong, sailed southward through the Taiwan Strait in December 2023.

"We have closely monitored their movements and will respond accordingly," Taiwan's Defense Ministry had said when Shandong transited through the strait.