The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier Fujian (CV-18) continues to move forward in its operational work-up process, after once again being detected conducting exercises in the Bohai Sea, off the city of Qinhuangdao, as revealed by recent open-source intelligence (OSINT) satellite imagery.
According to the most recent records, captured on April 5 by the Sentinel-2 satellite, the Chinese Navy’s most modern vessel is deployed in that area accompanied by at least one escort unit — possibly a frigate approximately 130 meters in length — sailing about 6.7 kilometers to the southeast. This activity adds to previous reports from late March that had already indicated the carrier’s presence in the same region after departing from Qingdao.
The choice of the Bohai Sea is likely not mere coincidence, since it is one of China’s main naval training areas, where the Fujian had already been observed during previous deployments, including exercises carried out in early 2026. In this regard, the repetition of maneuvers in the area suggests a sustained testing phase aimed at validating different aspects of the aircraft carrier and its systems.
It is worth recalling that the Fujian is the most advanced aircraft carrier built by China to date, being the first to incorporate a CATOBAR launch system with electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), which will allow it to operate a wider range of aircraft, including heavier carrier-based fighters and airborne early warning aircraft.
Compared to its predecessors, the aircraft carriers Liaoning (CV-16) and Shandong (CV-17), the Fujian introduces a qualitative leap in Chinese naval aviation capabilities, not only because of its size and design, but also due to the integration of more advanced technologies that position it as a key platform for future Chinese Navy power projection operations.
The last confirmed deployment of the Fujian had taken place in January 2026, when the vessel departed from Qingdao to begin a new phase of operational trials. Since then, tracking through satellite imagery has made it possible to trace its activity, showing a gradual increase in the intensity and frequency of its exercises. In that context, the new maneuvers in the Bohai Sea reinforce the perception that the aircraft carrier continues to move through critical stages of evaluation and training.
You may also like: A Chinese Navy frigate dangerously intercepted a Philippine landing ship near the Spratly Islands
