China Is Building Aircraft Carriers Bigger Than the USS Ford — but They Can’t Do the One Thing That Makes a Supercarrier Deadly

China Is Building Aircraft Carriers Bigger Than the USS Ford — but They Can’t Do the One Thing That Makes a Supercarrier Deadly

Summary and Key Points: China is building aircraft carriers at a pace not seen since World War II. By 2035, the Pentagon expects Beijing to triple its fleet to nine flattops — and the next one may be a nuclear-powered supercarrier larger than the USS Gerald R. Ford, capable of carrying more than a hundred aircraft. On paper, it’s a staggering rise. But the numbers hide a very different story. China’s most advanced carrier, already in service, ha…