China Commissions Advanced Aircraft Carrier Fujian, Bolstering Naval Power
China officially commissioned its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, featuring electromagnetic catapults. This naval expansion aims to project power globally, modernizing its military.
Overview
- China officially commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, this week, marking a significant advancement in its naval capabilities and military modernization efforts under President Xi Jinping.
- The Fujian is China's most advanced carrier, featuring electromagnetic catapults for faster take-offs and increased capacity for heavier-armed jet fighters, a technological leap for its navy.
- As China's first domestically designed and built carrier with a catapult launch system, the Fujian enables operations against distant targets, extending China's power projection far out at sea.
- The Fujian's commissioning is part of President Xi Jinping's military modernization plan by 2035, aiming to close the gap with the U.S. Navy and intensify naval competition.
- With three carriers, China's rapidly expanding navy, now the world's largest, seeks to extend its influence beyond its coast, identified by the Pentagon as a key competitor.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover China's new Fujian aircraft carrier neutrally, focusing on factual comparisons with U.S. naval power. They detail its technological advancements like electromagnetic catapults while also highlighting its limitations, such as non-nuclear power and smaller size, in direct contrast to American carriers. The reporting remains objective, presenting technical specifications without overt evaluative language.
"The Fujian is China's first aircraft carrier with a catapult launch system, which means it can launch heavy and fully-loaded warplanes including an early-warning and control plane."
ABC News"The Fujian's commissioning ceremony was held in southern Hainan province on Wednesday, during which Xi toured the ship's deck to hear more details about its performance at sea."
BBC News"The Fujian is a step in that direction."
ABC News"The Fujian is China’s third carrier and the first that it both designed and built itself."
Associated PressArticles (6)
Center (4)
FAQ
The Fujian features electromagnetic catapult launch systems (EMALS) for faster, heavier aircraft takeoffs, it is the first domestically designed carrier with CATOBAR system, allowing operations of upgraded J-15 fighters, new stealth J-35 jets, and early warning aircraft like the KJ-600, marking a technological leap beyond the ski-jump carriers Liaoning and Shandong.
Equipped with EMALS, the Fujian can launch heavier, more heavily armed jets and support long-range missions up to 1,500 km, including deploying stealth UAVs like the GJ11 for reconnaissance and strikes, enabling China to project naval power far beyond coastal waters and engage in extended blue-water operations.
At over 80,000 tons displacement, the Fujian is larger than the UK's Queen Elizabeth class (around 70,000 tons) but smaller than the U.S. Ford-class carriers (110,000 tons). Its airwing capacity is slightly less than the U.S. Navy's 70-80 aircraft, yet its advanced technology makes it a close competitor in carrier operations.
The Fujian is a key component of President Xi Jinping's plan to modernize the military by 2035, aiming to close the gap with the U.S. Navy in carrier technology and naval power, enabling China to assert greater influence and compete more intensively in global naval competition.
The Fujian will operate upgraded J-15 fighters, the new stealth J-35 jets, and the KJ-600 early warning aircraft, as well as unmanned combat aerial vehicles like the GJ11 stealth UAV, which enhances reconnaissance, strike capability, and operational flexibility with AI support and reduced pilot risk.
History
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