China has quietly hit a significant logistical milestone for its navy, as satellite images show its domestically built aircraft carrier Shandong entering a brand-new dry dock at a southern naval base, the first time an aircraft carrier has used the facility, analysts say.
Commercial satellite imagery dated January 21 suggests the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) brought the Shandong into a massive docking basin at the Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island around January 20 or 21. This marks the dry dock’s first apparent use for a vessel as large as an aircraft carrier, a clear indication that China is expanding its ability to sustain and service its growing carrier fleet closer to contested waters in the South China Sea.
According to American geospatial intelligence firm AllSource Analysis, the development could help Beijing avoid a future “carrier gap” in the region by enabling maintenance and repairs far from the traditional northern hubs like the shipyards in Dalian. “Traditionally, major repairs and overhauls for Chinese aircraft carriers were confined to the Dalian Shipyard in northern China,” the report notes, adding that the Yulin facility boosts the navy’s ability to keep carriers battle-ready where they’re most likely to operate.
Dry docks are critical for lifting warships out of the water so crews can work on submerged parts like hulls and propellers, essential for long-term deployments. While China built the Yulin dock years ago, carriers hadn’t used it until now. Analysts say the Shandong’s entry underscores a broader push by the PLA to strengthen its logistics and sustain carrier strike groups in key maritime theaters.
