US EditionChina Commissions Fujian, Its First Domestically Designed Aircraft Carrier
The Fujian features advanced electromagnetic catapult technology enabling launch of heavier, fully-loaded aircraft, marking a key step in China's naval modernization and power projection.
- On Wednesday, China commissioned the Fujian at Sanya on Hainan island after extensive sea trials, with top leader Xi Jinping attending; it is China’s third aircraft carrier and first domestically designed and built.
- Beijing frames the Fujian as part of a broader military overhaul, with Xi Jinping aiming to modernize forces and contest waters out to Guam across the First and Second Island Chains.
- Technically, the Fujian features an electromagnetic launch system rather than steam catapults, enabling launch of heavier, fully fueled KJ-600, J-35, and J-15T aircraft during sea trials.
- Analysts say the Fujian expands China’s domain awareness and lets warplanes operate far from shore, raising concerns about delaying U.S. military assistance and blockade risks involving Taiwan.
- Shipyard capacity and another carrier under construction indicate continued naval expansion; China still fields three carriers compared with the U.S. Navy’s 11, and its carriers remain conventionally powered rather than nuclear.
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Over 300 meters long, Fujian embarks stealth fighters, radar planes and anti-som helicopters. By 2035 Beijing could have up to six aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
In particular, the Fujian is equipped with this technology, which is available only to the last aircraft carrier in the United States. A further demonstration of its ambitions as a superpower.
China commissions new aircraft carrier
China's third aircraft carrier entered service this week, state media said on Friday, marking a key milestone in President Xi Jinping's drive to modernise the military. The Fujian is equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) — something that previously only the USS Gerald R Ford possessed. The advanced take-off system allows the Chinese air force to deploy jets carrying larger payloads and more fuel. State news agency Xinhu…
China boasts a new milestone in its insatiable ambition in the race for naval supremacy: it has just put into service its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, a...
Aircraft carriers are often described as the ultimate means of projecting power and dominance on a global scale. With the inauguration of China's most advanced of its kind to date, the great country to the east now officially has...
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