MikeLigalig.com

http://uk.businessinsider.com/
Alex Lockie





An epic military parade earlier this month showed off some of the Chinese military's new toys, unveiling heavy vehicles in maritime camouflage as the country's island-building in the South China Sea sits in US military planners' minds.

So how does China stack up to other world powers when it comes to aircraft carriers, one of the biggest factors in air and sea dominance?

Take a look at the photos and graphics below to get an idea of China's naval power:

This is China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Like much of China's military hardware, the Liaoning is a reworking of an older Russian-made model.



The Liaoning docked at Dalian Port, in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2012.

The Liaoning's particulars and capabilities sound impressive.

The Admiral Kuznetsov, which the Liaoning is based on, is Russia's sole aircraft carrier. The ships have the same size and speed, and they both feature the "ski jump" platform.



Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov.

The Kuznetsov, like the Liaoning, lacks the catapults used by US vessels to launch heavier planes, but it carries offensive weapons of its own.



Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

China's southern neighbor India operates two smaller aircraft carriers, but they are much more reliable. In 2014, the Liaoning experienced unexpected power failures while at sea.



India's Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the US Navy's 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, is larger and carries more planes, and it features catapults to launch heavier planes, thus the flat runway.

The US leads the world in aircraft carriers by far, and it is developing an even larger class of aircraft carrier to replace aging members of the fleet.



A Gerald R. Ford-class US Navy aircraft carrier.

To put things in perspective, this graphic shows the relative sizes of aircraft carriers from around the world.



Note that the USS Gerald R. Ford pictured in this graphic is slightly larger than the USS Nimitz aircraft carriers that now operate in the US Navy, but both vessels displace 102,000 tons.

And let's not forget that the US has more aircraft carriers than the rest of the world combined.



* India's second aircraft carrier is not pictured in this graphic.