According to a CCTV News report today, on November 5,my country's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier "Fujian Ship" (hull number 18) held a flag-raising ceremony at a military port in Sanya, Hainan.
The Fujian ship is China's third aircraft carrier. Following the Liaoning ship (commissioned in 2012) and the Shandong ship (commissioned in 2019), it marks that the Chinese navy has officially entered the "three aircraft carrier era."
The ship was launched at Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on June 17, 2022, and will complete all sea trials and carrier-based aircraft tests in 2025.
The Fujian ship has a full load displacement of over 80,000 tons. It is a large conventionally powered aircraft carrier and the largest conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the world.It is also the world's first aircraft carrier to use conventional power + electromagnetic ejection. The localization rate exceeds 98% and the energy consumption is only 1/3 of steam ejection..
The electromagnetic catapult is suitable for a full spectrum of carrier-based aircraft ranging from 2 to 70 tons. It only takes 15 minutes from cold start to ready for flight. The maximum number of sorties in a single day reaches 270-300 (about 120 for the Nimitz class), and the failure rate is as low as 0.21% (statistics during the sea trial phase).
Equipped with 3 electromagnetic catapults and advanced arresting devices, it greatly improves the dispatch efficiency of carrier-based aircraft.At present, the testing of three main models, the J-35 stealth fighter, the J-15T heavy fighter and the KJ-600 early warning aircraft, has been completed..
After the Fujian ship is commissioned, it will form a strategic layout that echoes the north and south with the Liaoning ship and Shandong ship, greatly improving the Chinese Navy's long-sea combat and strategic projection capabilities.
