The Type 001A aircraft carrier was merely a medium-sized carrier, whereas the Ash class was entirely a heavy aircraft carrier whose sheer size firmly placed it in the absolute highest tier in the world.
The Ash-class captain was approximately 320 meters long, about 76 meters wide, with a draft of 12 meters and a standard displacement of 90,000 tons. This was roughly comparable to the United States Navy's active Nimitz-class carriers and slightly smaller than the newest Ford-class carriers. However, much like the Ford class, it utilized electromagnetic catapult technology rather than the steam catapults found on the Nimitz class, and it certainly could not be compared to the ski-jump takeoff of the Type 001A carrier.
Its propulsion system was powered by two AH-1 naval pressurized water nuclear reactors independently developed by An Shi Heavy Industry, capable of operating for a hundred years without replacing the reactor cores, roughly resembling near-infinite endurance.
As for its speed, it reached a terrifying 35 knots. For a behemoth like an aircraft carrier, a speed five knots higher than that of the Nimitz class meant its power was at least twice as robust. At the same time, this provided carrier-based aircraft with a higher initial velocity during tailwind launches, helping to ease the burden on the catapult system and reduce the stress on the planes during takeoff.
In terms of defense systems, it did not adopt the world's most advanced Phalanx CIWS currently in use. Instead, leveraging the formidable technological prowess of An Shi Group, it was equipped with three sets of high-sensitivity laser beam remote defense weapon systems that practically amounted to black technology in the eyes of the entire world.
Regarding its combat systems, whether it came to combat command, target search, or self-defense, it utilized weapon systems independently developed by An