Leaked photos show China’s ‘Goliath’ aircraft carrier developing at fast pace

China’s newest aircraft carrier currently under construction is set to rival the world's most powerful naval vessels, it is claimed.

Aerial snaps of the dockyard where "Type 003” is being built, suggest The People’s Liberation Army Navy will finally have a ship to match anything else in the water.

In-built catapults on the futuristic ship will be capable of launching a range of aircraft into the air.

Compared to its previous 'David' vessels, news.com.au says Beijing now "has a Goliath of its own".

According to reports, the Type 003 is just a few metres shorter than America's problematic next-generation super carrier, the "USS Ford".

To draw direct comparisons with the the US Navy, China's new Type 003 appears to be on par with the Nimitz class, news.com.au states.

Work on the aircraft carrier got underway in 2018 and has been a constant interest for analysts and self-proclaimed experts online who have dedicated time to study every satellite snap of its construction.

Social media was awash with new images last week, which were copied and saved before Chinese authorities cracked down on their publication.

Close inspection of the photos has confirmed to some that the Type 003 will be completed as planned next year, with a full deployment in 2024.

Ship builders appear to be moving onto the final stage of putting the vessel's hull together and the shots show large overhangs that shape a supercarrier’s flight.

According to Jamie Seidel writing for news.com.au, we can learn a lot from the images what the warship will be capable of, once on the water.

It appears to have two large, side-mounted aircraft elevators on the starboard (right) side and looks to be about 325m long and up to 80m wide.

It is speculated that the Type 003 will weigh about 90,000 tonnes compared to the US equivalent's 100,000 tonnes.

Chinese state-run media reports catapults on the ship to be advanced electromagnetic devices in the same league as USS Ford , with two on the bow and one on the port (left) overhang.

Which means unlike China's previous aircraft carriers which have simple ski-ramps, the Type 003 boasts the ability to rapidly launch combat aircraft carrying full fuel and weapon loads.

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