China has revealed its plans to arm its next generation nuclear powered aircraft carrier with sophisticated new weapons, including electromagnetic railguns and high energy lasers. This move marks a major strategic effort by Beijing to master advanced technologies that the United States gave up on after many years of development.
Liang Fang, a military expert and professor at Beijing’s National Defence University, made the announcement on a program broadcast by the state-run CCTV on Sunday. “China’s future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can be equipped with more advanced defensive weapons, such as a high-energy laser weapon and electromagnetic rail gun,” she said.
This news came just a few days after China officially commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, on November 5. While the 80,000 ton Fujian is equipped with modern electromagnetic catapults, it still uses conventional power. This limits its range to about 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles. It now appears that China is moving forward with a new nuclear powered carrier, known as the Type 004. This future ship would have unlimited range and the massive electrical power needed to operate directed energy weapons.
Moving Forward Where the United States Stepped Back
The difference between China’s progress and the efforts of the United States is significant. The U.S. Navy officially canceled its electromagnetic railgun program in 2021. It had spent around $500 million on the project over 15 years. The American program was troubled by major technical problems. These included severe damage to the weapon’s barrel after firing fewer than 30 shots. The weapon also had a limited range of 110 miles, which would have forced U.S. Navy ships to get dangerously close to enemy missile range.
In contrast, China has been actively testing railguns on its ships since at least 2018. That year, a prototype of the weapon was seen mounted on a landing ship called the Haiyang Shan. Chinese research, led by Rear Admiral Ma Weiming and scientist Lu Junyong, has been focused on solving the key problems that stopped the U.S. program, such as barrel wear and power storage.
Development of Powerful Laser Weapons
In addition to railguns, China has also been developing powerful laser weapons. The country displayed its LY-1 high power laser weapon system during a military parade in September 2025. This system is designed mainly for shipboard defense against threats like drones and missiles. It works by using electromagnetic energy to damage the optical sensors of incoming weapons. According to Chinese state media, the LY-1 has enough space for its power units, allowing it to shoot down both unmanned vehicles and anti-ship missiles at a very low cost for each shot.
A nuclear reactor would be needed to provide the huge amount of electricity required to power both railguns and high energy lasers on a warship. The planned Type 004 carrier is expected to be very large, weighing between 110,000 and 120,000 tons. This would make it even larger than America’s 100,000 ton Ford-class carriers. It is also expected to have an integrated electric propulsion system, which would be capable of supporting these advanced directed energy weapons. This signals a clear ambition by China to achieve a technological edge in naval warfare.
