Beijing, Nov 8: China has officially commissioned its third aircraft carrier, Fujian, making it the country with the second-highest number of aircraft carriers after the United States. The U.S. currently operates 11 carriers.
According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, Fujian was formally inducted into the Chinese Navy this week during a ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping.
The carrier’s electromagnetic catapult launcher marks a major technological leap for China’s navy, enabling it to project power deeper into the Pacific Ocean. Analysts say the carrier will be key to China’s military operations in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the disputed South China Sea.
Fujian is China’s first fully domestically designed and built aircraft carrier. The first carrier, Liaoning, was a modified Soviet-era vessel purchased unfinished from Ukraine, while the second, Shandong, was constructed in China based on the Liaoning’s design.
All three carriers are named after Chinese coastal provinces. Fujian is the first to feature a catapult launch system, allowing it to launch heavier and fully fueled fighter jets. This capability extends its operational range at sea and reduces dependence on land-based reconnaissance aircraft.
Its aircraft can carry more fuel and weapons, increasing both range and firepower. In contrast, the earlier carriers Liaoning and Shandong used a “ski-jump” deck that limited them to lighter fighter jets.
After the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford, Fujian is the second carrier in the world to use an electromagnetic catapult system. The technology reduces stress on aircraft and the carrier deck, requires less maintenance, and can launch a wide range of aircraft—from light drones to heavy fighters.
The Fujian is expected to carry China’s new J-35 stealth fighter and the heavy J-15T fighter jets.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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