15-05-2024, Wed.
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has set sail for its first sea trials, marking a significant milestone in China’s naval expansion.
This carrier, fully designed by China, features advanced capabilities not seen on previous Chinese carriers, such as catapult-assisted takeoff capability powered by electromagnetic impulses, similar to the USS Gerald R Ford.
Weighing 80,000 tons, the Fujian is expected to be the largest and most powerful warship built by any Asian nation, with a focus on enhancing China’s blue-water naval capabilities and projecting power far from its shores.
The sea trials aim to verify the reliability and stability of the carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, with plans for further testing on aircraft launch systems in subsequent phases.
As China aims to expand its carrier fleet to six by 2035, the Fujian represents a strategic move to strengthen its maritime presence and challenge the existing US-led naval order in the Pacific region.
This development has significant implications for regional security and stability, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, where China’s rise as a naval power poses challenges for traditional maritime powers like India.
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has embarked on its maiden sea trials, marking a significant milestone in China’s naval expansion. The Fujian carrier set sail from Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, with the trials primarily focused on testing the reliability and stability of its propulsion and electrical systems, as reported by state news agency Xinhua.
Weighing in at 79,000 tons, the Fujian carrier is expected to carry the most potent fighter jet launch system, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), similar to the USS Gerald R Ford.
This advanced system enables the Fujian to launch more fighter-bombers at one time and allows fighter jets to carry much heavier loads than the alternative short takeoff systems used by most navies operating aircraft carriers.
