China is developing a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which would be larger and more advanced than any existing vessel in its fleet, in an attempt to keep pace with the US navy.

The new supercarrier would allow fighter jets to be launched from four parts of the flight deck, as opposed to its current ships which can only facilitate three, according to new satellite imagery reviewed by NBC News.

That would match the capability of USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the US navy.

Images from the Dalian shipbuilding facility in northeast China show tracks or trenches in the snow, which appear to be related to a new catapult launch system.

Analysts said that while the images don’t show construction under way just yet, they are an indication that China is moving forward with its ambitious plans.

“We think this is them testing equipment and layouts for the upcoming Type 04 carrier,” Michael Duitsman, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in the US, told NBC.