China’s Giant Land-Based Carrier Mockup Grows in Size, Now Resembles Ford Class
17th April 2025
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.