China puts Fujian aircraft carrier into official operation

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the flag-raising and commissioning ceremony in Hainan Province on November 4. Xi personally inspected the Fujian during the ceremony. The event marked China's official entry into the era of three aircraft carriers, including the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.

The Fujian, numbered 18, was launched in June 2022 and is China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier to use an electromagnetic catapult, replacing the slide-style platform used on the previous two ships. With a displacement of more than 80,000 tons, the ship is considered a symbol of China’s new maritime technology.

According to military expert Truong Quan Xa, the operation of Fujian shows the PLA Navy's shift from coastal defense strategy to offshore operations.

He said the ship brings three major changes. One is the electromagnetic catapult that allows aircraft to take off with full fuel and weapons, extending their range and improving their attack capabilities. Two is increasing the frequency of sorties thanks to new launch technology. Three is creating an integrated offshore combat system, especially with the participation of the KJ-600 early warning aircraft.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the flag-raising and commissioning ceremony of the ship in Hainan Province on November 4. Photo: Xinhua

Previously, on September 22, the PLA Navy announced that Fujian had successfully conducted electromagnetic catapult launch and landing tests with three types of aircraft: J-15T, J-35 and KJ-600. These aircraft also appeared in the Victory Day parade in Beijing on September 3.

Expert Tong Zhongping said that Fujian is a new generation aircraft carrier, as China has skipped steam catapult technology to move straight to more advanced electromagnetic technology. According to him, future combat trials will be the “real test” of the ship.

Fujian is deployed at the same port as Shandong in Sanya. The two ships can form a dual carrier group, undertaking missions of offshore defense, air-sea control, land attack or supporting operations on islands and reefs.

Analysts say three carriers only meets the minimum requirement, as one would normally be for maintenance, one for training, and one for duty.

Asked about reports that a fourth aircraft carrier – believed to be nuclear-powered – was being built at the Dalian Shipyard, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang declined to confirm the news, saying only that aircraft carrier development “always conforms to national security needs and technological progress.”

Source: https://congluan.vn/trung-quoc-dua-tau-san-bay-phuc-kien-vao-hoat-dong-chinh-thuc-10316974.html