Photos show segments of new Chinese aircraft carrier under construction This image, circulating on Chinese military and hobbyist websites, appears to show a section of a new aircraft carrier under construction. The gap in the middle may be part of the aircraft hangar, while the distinctive Y-shaped frame is common to aircraft carrier designs. ASIA'S arms race is heating up, with new pictures revealing China is constructing a new class of combat aircraft carrier. A year after unveiling its first combat-ready aircraft carrier, a series of pictures have been circulated apparently showing prefabricated sections of a new aircraft-carrying vessel under construction. Defence analysts have sinced matched the photographs with similar aircraft carrier construction elements from the United States and Britain, as well as satellite pictures on Google Earth showing a large ship being constructed at a Shanghai shipyard. The images appear to confirm China is aggressively pursuing a campaign to build a powerful navy focused on a series of carrier battle groups in a similar manner to that of the United States. Defence industry analysts are speculating that the new ship, known only as the ``001A" class, is an enlarged and modified version of the Soviet-era Liaoning carrier purchased from Russia and refurbished into combat condition by China last year. A Google Earth image showing a large ship under construction in Shanghai. RELATED: Japan launches largest warship since World War II EARLIER: Chinese navy takes delivery of first aircraft carrier In April, China's Admiral Song Xue said that the People's Liberation Army was planning to build its own aircraft carriers that would be bigger and more powerful than the Liaoning. It is believed the new ship will carry more advanced operating equipment, such as catapults, to deploy larger and heavier aircraft. A section of the United Kingdom's new Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carrier currently under construction. The stark, angular lines of the module photographs show that these components are part of the inner hull. These will be slotted inside an external hull shell at a later date. The double-hull design, similar to that found in US aircraft carriers, is intended to increase survivability in the face of torpedo strike. The new aircraft carrier is part of a significant new construction program being undertaken by China's military. Five new guided missile destroyers are being built in Shanghai's Jiangnan Changzing shipbuilding base, as is a helicopter assault ship and a series of new frigates. China's aircraft carrier "Liaoning" in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. AP Photo/Xinhua, Zha Chunming