China unveils plans for futuristic aircraft carrier by 2040

China recently unveiled a giant flying “aircraft carrier” designed to operate at the edge of space and deploy unmanned fighter jets — one of Beijing’s most ambitious aviation projects to date, but one it insists could become reality within decades.

Chinese state media released a computer-generated video of the craft, known as Luanniao, as part of a broader aerospace programme called the Nantianmen Project, led by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

According to CCTV, the Luanniao would be the world’s largest flying warship, capable of carrying up to 88 unmanned fighter aircraft armed with hypersonic missiles and operating above most existing air defence systems.

The concept carrier is colossal. State media descriptions put it at 242 metres long, 684 metres wide, with a take-off weight of 120,000 tonnes, dwarfing any aircraft currently in service.

Chinese outlets say the system could enter service in 20 to 30 years, with some reports suggesting a target date around 2040. No prototype has been publicly confirmed to date.

Defence experts, however, have reservations about the level of technology China aims to achieve.

Hovering or operating at the edge of Earth’s atmosphere would require enormous fuel, advanced propulsion systems and reusable launch capabilities that do not yet exist, experts said, adding that putting such a craft into orbit would also expose it to space debris.

Even so, the concept points to Beijing’s ambitions in air and space power. 

The Luanniao is presented as the centrepiece of the Nantianmen Project, which also includes a sixth-generation “Baidi” fighter jet designed for near-space operations. A model of the jet was displayed at China’s main air show in 2024.

The announcement comes amid an intensifying U.S.-China space and technology rivalry. China has poured resources into rockets, satellites and lunar missions, including the Chang’e-6 mission, which returned samples from the far side of the Moon in 2024.

A follow-up mission, Chang’e-7, aimed at searching for water on the Moon, is scheduled for later this year, underscoring Beijing’s push to expand its space footprint.

China’s expanding military ambitions are backed by a defence budget whose true size remains contested. 

Beijing said its military spending reached $220 billion in 2023, a 7.2% increase from the previous year, but Western estimates suggest the real figure is significantly higher. A 2024 Pentagon report put China’s defence outlays at $330 billion to $450 billion, while some US senators have cited numbers as high as $700 billion. 

Other estimates vary widely, with the International Institute for Strategic Studies placing China’s 2024 budget at about $235 billion, and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimating $317.56 billion.

Whether the Luanniao ever leaves the drawing board, or whether China’s true defence spending matches official claims, one fact is clear: the Asian powerhouse already fields the world’s largest military and is steadily building the capacity — and ambition — to challenge U.S. dominance.