In recent hours, new images released through Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) sources have shown the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Fujian (CV-18) moored alongside the Shandong (CV-17) at the port of Yulin, Hainan Island—an event analysts interpret as a possible prelude to its official commissioning ceremony.
The photographs, shared on social media and defense-focused forums, show both aircraft carriers side by side at the pier—an uncommon sight that coincides with previous reports regarding preparations for the CV-18’s induction ceremony. At the same time, speculation has emerged that Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived—or is en route—to Hainan Island to preside over the carrier’s potential commissioning, further reinforcing expectations of its imminent entry into active service.
It is worth recalling that by late August, various sources indicated that the Fujian aircraft carrier was already in the final phase of sea trials and system calibration, with commissioning initially expected toward the end of 2025. Now, the latest images suggest that the entry-into-service process may have been accelerated, indicating that the vessel may already be ready for official commissioning.
The Fujian carrier, also designated as Type 003, was launched in June 2022 by the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. It is the first Chinese-built aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), a major innovation distinguishing it from its predecessors, the Liaoning (CV-16) and Shandong (CV-17), both of which feature ski-jump ramps. This new system allows it to operate heavier, longer-range aircraft and to launch a greater number of them—including J-15T and J-35 fighters, as well as KJ-600 AEW&C early warning aircraft—significantly expanding the PLA Navy’s airpower projection capabilities.
Over the past year, the carrier has completed multiple sea trials and catapult system calibrations, along with intensive crew and technical personnel training. Analysts have noted steady progress since the Fujian’s first sea trial in May 2024, consolidating its status as the most advanced flagship of the Chinese fleet and a crucial step toward the next generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers projected for the coming decade.
One of the carrier’s last recorded voyages took place around mid-September 2025, when the Fujian was observed transiting the Taiwan Strait en route to the South China Sea as part of its final navigation and training phase before commissioning. During this transit, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted continuous monitoring of the formation, marking the first time Tokyo had tracked the carrier in international waters. According to reports, the Fujian was accompanied by two destroyers—one of them a Type 052C—forming a small task group.
If its commissioning is confirmed in the coming hours, the Fujian is expected to be based at the Yulin Naval Base in Hainan, which also serves as the home port of the Shandong (CV-17). Its entry into service will bolster the PLA Navy’s power-projection capacity across the Western Pacific—an increasingly contested area where Beijing continues to expand its maritime and air presence, particularly around the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
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