3-1-2024 (BEIJING) China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian Ship, made a prominent appearance on Tuesday (January 2) in footage broadcasted on the state-run news program, “Xinwen Lianbo.” Three electromagnetic catapult tracks were clearly visible in the footage, leading military analysts to infer that the construction of the Fujian Ship is nearing completion, with sea trial tests expected to commence shortly.
On Tuesday, CCTV’s “Xinwen Lianbo” reported that the People’s Liberation Army of China is intensively preparing for potential combat, focusing on the centenary goal while showcasing training scenes of the Chinese Air Force, Army, and Navy. Notably, a brief three-second clip featuring the Fujian Ship was included in the report.
Compared to the footage of the Fujian Ship’s launch in June of the previous year, the recent footage revealed the removal of construction sheds from the electromagnetic catapult devices, making three catapult tracks distinctly visible.
Shi Hong, a special commentator quoted by Shenzhen Satellite TV, analysed that the public visibility of the three electromagnetic catapult tracks indicates that the construction of the Fujian Ship has reached its concluding stages. In other words, the basic structure of the Fujian Ship is essentially completed.
Shi Hong stated that aside from some equipment yet to be installed on the ship and certain markings on the deck yet to be finalized, the Fujian Ship can be considered mostly finished. This suggests that the sea trial phase for the Fujian Ship is approaching. Additionally, Shi Hong pointed out that the flat front part of the flight deck allows for more aircraft to be stationed, providing the Fujian Ship with greater flexibility in aircraft deployment. Bearing the hull number “18,” the Fujian Ship is China’s third aircraft carrier, following the Liaoning and Shandong carriers. It is also the first domestically designed and constructed aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapults.
This carrier features a flat, elongated flight deck, equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting gear, boasting a displacement of over 80,000 tons. It was launched in June 2022.
Responding to inquiries in November of the previous year, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian revealed that the Fujian Ship was conducting mooring trials, with subsequent plans to steadily advance the construction project.
Military commentator Song Zhongping, speaking to “Political Knowledge” under Beijing Youth Daily, explained that the typical construction process of an aircraft carrier involves several crucial stages: project initiation, commencement of construction (assembling segmented parts into a complete unit), launching, outfitting, mooring, and sea trials.
Comparing the construction and service processes of China’s first two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, Song Zhongping noted that during the construction of the Fujian Ship, many systems and equipment were concurrently installed in the shipyard, streamlining and even bypassing the outfitting phase that follows launching. This strategy facilitates the direct commencement of mooring trials, thus saving considerable construction time.
