The Fujian aircraft carrier may become the nation’s first-ever nuclear-powered surface vessel if commissioned.
The People’s Republic of China’s newest aircraft carrier, Fujian, has begun its seventh round of sea trials. According to Senior Colonel Wu Qian, “It is a normal arrangement for China’s aircraft carrier PLANS Fujian to carry out sea trials during its construction process.” Some analysts believe the performance and environmental testing of the Fujian is perhaps indicative of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) ambitions to commission the aircraft carrier as soon as possible.
As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to mount in the South China Sea, the potential for a full-blown conflict down the line becomes more plausible. The U.S. Navy possesses the largest aircraft carrier fleet with eleven in service. These nuclear-powered vessels are widely considered to be the most advanced of their kind out at sea today. While the Fujian will only represent the third carrier in the PLAN’s fleet, it is expected to host some of the cutting-edge capabilities featured by its American counterparts.
An Overview of China’s Carrier Fleet
The Liaoning Type 001 was the first aircraft carrier commissioned into the PLAN’s fleet back in 2012. The Type 002 Shandong was the second carrier to reach operational capacity in China, commissioning in 2019. First launched in 2022, the Fujian, or China’s Type 003 carrier, may become the nation’s first-ever nuclear-powered surface vessel if commissioned. Like the American Ford-class vessels, Fujian uses the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) to launch its aircraft. This cutting-edge capability is a departure from steam catapult systems and enables higher sortie rates.
The PLAN will be able to launch a range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft from the flight deck of the Fujian, including the J-15 and J-35 stealth fighter jets and KJ-600 airborne early warning systems. China’s J-15 fourth-generation fighter has been flying with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) for more than one decade. Despite being largely a Russian copycat platform, the J-15 is certainly formidable and would play a leading role in any future conflict China finds itself in. The Shenyang J-35 is a stealth multirole combat aircraft that is expected to become an important component of the PLAAF when operational capacity is reached.
What We Know About the Fujian
Naval Technology detailed other notable improvements featured on the Fujian, including a reduced radar cross-section, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and an integrated funnel that powers the carrier’s electromagnetic catapults for aircraft launch. In terms of size, Fujian is larger than its predecessors, with a displacement of more than 80,000 tons in full load. Comparably, the Liaoning and the Shandong displace 60,000 to 70,0000 tons. The U.S. Nimitz-class ships displace 100,000 tons, for reference.
China currently possesses the world’s second-largest aircraft carrier fleet across the globe. The introduction of the Fujian to service down the line will elevate Beijing’s power projection capabilities out at sea and will therefore pose a greater threat to the United States and its allies.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Shutterstock.
