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2h ago

China Commissions EMALS-Equipped Aircraft Carrier Fujian in Sanya

The EMALS carrier signals expanded reach; analysts still question endurance, sortie rates, deck efficiency.

China's third conventionally powered aircraft carrier, the Fujian, conducts a maiden sea trial on May 7, 2024.
Visitors look at a model of the Fujian Type 003 aircraft carrier displayed at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China November 14, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Aircraft carrier Fujian at her commissioning ceremony on November 5, 2025 in Sanya, together with carrier Shandong and a Type 075 LHD in the background. Image Chinese state media.

Overview

  • State media said the Fujian entered service in a ceremony on Hainan attended by Xi Jinping, formally handing the ship to the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
  • The Fujian is China’s third carrier and first of indigenous design, featuring a flat deck with electromagnetic catapults that can launch heavier aircraft, including the KJ-600 and new J-35 tested during sea trials.
  • The conventionally powered ship displaces more than 80,000 tons, smaller than U.S. nuclear supercarriers, which grants the American fleet longer endurance at sea.
  • Former U.S. carrier officers and other observers say the Fujian’s deck layout could constrain simultaneous launch and recovery, potentially limiting sortie rates compared with U.S. carriers.
  • Analysts will watch early deployments and integration with escorts to gauge operational proficiency, as China pursues a larger, nuclear-powered Type 004 carrier reported to be under development.