China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)
Type 002 Shandong
China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, a refined and enlarged derivative of the ski-jump Liaoning (itself a modernized Soviet Kuznetsov-class hull) with improved hangar capacity and island design for J-15 fighter operations.
In service since 2019 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
66,000
t
31
kn
2,600
crew
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2019. Status: active · ~1 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- Close-in weapon systems and short-range air-defense missiles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 305 m
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Type 346A AESA radar
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- integrated mast sensor suite
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 1 Stronger than 15% of warships
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 45% of warships
Specifications compiled from public China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the main armament of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong? +
The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong's primary weapon is the Close-in weapon systems and short-range air-defense missiles.
What is the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong used for? +
The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong is a warship typically used for air superiority.
How many countries operate the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong? +
The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong cost? +
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Type 002 Shandong: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.