In view of its future entry into service, the aircraft carrier Fujian (CVN-18) of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China continues to make important progress in its sea trials and system verification. Some of the latest reports indicate that evaluations of the Asian Giant’s third aircraft carrier—and the first of entirely local design—are focusing on the new electromagnetic catapult system, one of the main leaps in capabilities compared to the Liaoning and Shandong, allowing the deployment of aircraft with heavier payloads and other types of carrier-based aircraft.
Although a strong veil of secrecy persists around the Fujian and available information is limited, a new report from China Central Television (CCTV) places the aircraft carrier carrying out major tasks to verify its propulsion and power generation systems, among other things, within the framework of a new sea trial. Being its eighth time at sea, the Fujian is believed to have begun sailing toward an unknown location in mid-May, as inferred from a notice about traffic restrictions for large vessels at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Since the first reports about this third aircraft carrier, the Fujian has been presented as a much more advanced platform in comparison to its counterparts, the Liaoning (CVN-16) and Shandong (CVN-17), whose original design is based on the Kuznetsov-class. In particular, it is the country’s first ship equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system for aircraft takeoff. This technology—similar to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) of the United States Navy and present in its new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers—represents a significant advancement, as it allows aircraft to be launched with greater payloads compared to the STOBAR configuration used by the first two carriers.
This innovation requires exhaustive testing to verify the performance of these new technologies. These include catapult launches of different types of aircraft, such as fighter jets and airborne early warning aircraft, which have different weights and aerodynamic designs, as well as tests regarding launch frequency.
In that sense, as the months passed with various sea trials being conducted, the Fujian was seen with several scale models of J-35 fighters and a KJ-600 carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft on its flight deck, which would likely be the aircraft forming its embarked air wing. Additionally, this made it possible to save time regarding crew familiarization with deck operations that would take place if this configuration is eventually confirmed.
According to specialists cited by official Chinese media, the fact that the Fujian has already completed eight sea trials indicates that its formal incorporation into the People’s Liberation Army Navy may be getting closer. By comparison, the Liaoning underwent ten trials before being commissioned, while the Shandong completed nine. Nonetheless, given that it is the first Chinese vessel to incorporate electromagnetic catapults, greater tonnage, and a more diverse air wing, analysts consider that the operational certification process may require additional phases to reach Initial Operational Capability.
As months went by, internet users observed markings on the flight deck that would indicate the possible execution of touch-and-go maneuvers by aircraft. Many speculations have emerged, ranging from trial-and-error tests to the possibility that it may have been the first takeoff of a real aircraft or approach markings, opening various kinds of hypotheses. On the other hand, days ago, open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources published images of the new AEW&C aircraft KJ-600 that would equip the Fujian aircraft carrier, which was seen flying in formation alongside carrier-based J-15 fighters of the force.
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