Every time China It surprises less with its capacity and technological power, but still, and do it again. Drones, robots, autonomous taxis and buses… But a flying aircraft carrier? If we have ever seen or heard of it, it will have been in some science fiction movie like Star Warsbut here the figures are very real: 120,000 tons and 88 fighters.
Beyond the technological, there is the geopolitical concern. China shakes up the geostrategic board again with an advertisement more typical of a cinematic trailer. Engineers and research centers linked to the country’s military industry have presented the concept of Luanniaoa flying aircraft carrier capable of operating at the edge of Earth’s atmosphere and deploying up to 88 unmanned fighters.
However, there is one “consolation” for the West: its construction and implementation does not It would be ready within 20 to 30 years.always in its own way.
The proposal is part of the Project (Heavenly Gate of the South), a long-term program promoted by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to expand the country’s air and space capabilities. For some analysts, it’s an ambitious technological vision.
For others, a political and strategic message more than an achievable plan, although they do not take into account that China never announces something that it cannot or does not want to do, unless they later realize that it is not necessary, practical or beneficial. Only time will tell.
An aircraft carrier that does not touch the sea
According to data disclosed in technical forums and specialized media, the Luanniao It would measure about 240 meters long and I would have one wingspan close to 680 meterswith a maximum takeoff weight of 120,000 tons.
Your mission would be operate above the range of conventional anti-aircraft systemsacting as a launch and control platform for swarms of combat drones.
The airship would be designed to transport up to 88 unmanned fighters Xuan Nustill in conceptual phase. These drones would be stealthy, highly maneuverable and, according to available information, capable of carrying hypersonic missiles, a type of weaponry that already worries Western powers due to its speed and difficulty of interception.
Flying at the limit… with technology that does not exist
Here appears the main obstacle. The technology necessary to keep an aircraft of that size in flight at the edge of the atmosphere does not exist today, at least as far as we know.. Not only for lift, but for propulsion, fuel consumption and structural resistance.
Several experts point out that the Luanniao would require a completely new propulsion system, capable of operating both in dense layers of the atmosphere and in near-space conditions. Furthermore, the energy cost would be enormous.
A theoretical alternative to place the ship in full orbitbut that would make it a vulnerable target for space debris and anti-satellite weapons, a field where China, the United States and Russia already compete openly.
For its launch, Beijing would also need high-capacity reusable rockets. China has been working on them for years, but still has not achieved a comparable operating system according to industry reports.
What military analysts say
Skepticism is widespread. Peter Layton, visiting researcher at the Griffith Asia Instituteexplained to The Telegraph and that, if it came to exist, the Luanniao “I would surpass practically everyone” current systems.
Layton emphasizes that such a platform could fly over surface-to-air missilesconventional fighters and even weather phenomena, operating outside the reach of most defenses. Furthermore, it could be placed directly on strategic targets, increasing the effectiveness of its attacks.
But the analyst himself clarifies that the technical difficulty is so extreme that it is more plausible to interpret the project as a demonstration of ambition, not as a program with a realistic schedule.
Weapon of the future or strategic propaganda?
This is the key. Many experts believe that the Luanniao fulfills a clear function: projecting power. Inwardly, it reinforces the message that China leads the military technology race. Outwardly, it intimidates and conditions regional and global rivals. “For the external public, conveys the image that China is working on technologies that others cannot even aspire to. Literally, it is a matter of Star Wars“, resume Layton.
This is not the first time that Beijing has used futuristic concepts to set the agenda. Against a backdrop of rising tensions with the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, these announcements function as strategic signals, even if they never get off the ground.
