Shandong’s use of PLA’s newest dry dock near South China Sea suggests carrier milestone

China’s new dry dock near the South China Sea could help Beijing avoid having an aircraft carrier “gap” in the disputed waterway and pave the way for military outreach to the Indian Ocean, analysts said.

According to a report by American geospatial intelligence company AllSource Analysis, satellite imagery on January 21 shows the first use of a new dry dock at Yulin Naval Base in the southern Chinese province of Hainan for the likely maintenance of Chinese Navy aircraft carriers.

The report said China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, entered the naval base dry dock for the first time on January 20 or January 21, indicating an expansion of the dry dock’s capabilities and marking a “milestone” for the facility and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) carrier operations.

Construction of the Yulin Naval Base dry dock began in 2017 and it became operational in 2022, but it had not yet been used by aircraft carriers or vessels of similar tonnage, the AllSource report said.

“Traditionally, major repairs and overhauls for Chinese aircraft carriers were confined to the Dalian Shipyard in northern China,” it said. “The ability to maintain and repair such large naval vessels in the South China Sea greatly improves the Chinese Navy’s ability to sustain carrier operations in this critical theatre.”

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China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, enters service

Dry docks are specialised basins that lift aircraft carriers out of the water for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of submerged, inaccessible parts, such as hulls, propellers and sea chests, ensuring operational readiness and longevity. They are essential for cleaning and repainting to prevent corrosion and carry out complex overhauls.

South China Morning Post