China has officially commissioned its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian. This warship marks a significant leap in China’s naval capabilities. Unlike its predecessors, the Liaoning and Shandong which use a “ski-jump” ramp, the Fujian is the first fully domestically designed carrier to feature an advanced electromagnetic catapult system (EMALS).
This technology, previously only used by the US, allows the Fujian to launch heavier and more varied aircraft, including new stealth fighters and airborne early-warning planes, faster and more effectively. The carrier displaces over 80,000 tons and is conventionally powered.
Fujian was commissioned in Sanya on Hainan Island and is expected to be part of the Southern Theater Command. This places it strategically in the South China Sea.
This new carrier significantly boosts China’s naval power. For comparison, India currently operates two aircraft carriers, which use the ski-jump system. The Fujian’s induction is seen as a key step in China’s military modernization, enhancing its ability to project power far from its shores and support its long-term goal of “reunification” with Taiwan, which it views as a renegade province.
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