Aircraft carriers are essentially mobile air bases. They help countries deployed jets far from their own shore’s for combat and observation tasks. That’s a concept that predates even the first powered aircraft In the 1800s.
The first iteration in the US was just a floating platform that launched hot air balloons. By 1910, the Navy began launching motor operated planes from ships seen here in these images. Then, a decade later, Washington developed its first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, which is followed by many others, thousands of men to learn the secrets of carrier operations.
In contrast, China is a newcomer. It began building its first carrier around 70 years after the US that ship was refurbished using an old Soviet craft and was commissioned in 2012. Its second carrier was domestically made and was placed in active service in 2019. China started developing the vessels because of shifting military priorities. That’s according to defense analysts Before the year 2000, if you were to examine Chinese strategic thought and naval doctrines, their main preoccupation was the defense of near waters. China did not have blue water ambitions.
The U.S. has by far the largest aircraft-carrier fleet in the world, but China is catching up on technology and design with its new vessel–the Fujian. WSJ compares the two superpowers’ best military ships to understand their strategic goals.
