Particle.news
Download on the App Store
53 ARTICLES
·
4w ago

China Commissions EMALS-Equipped Fujian, Its First Homegrown CATOBAR Carrier

The carrier increases China’s power projection, with sustained combat readiness dependent on prolonged training.

China's third aircraft carrier, CNS Fujian, holds a commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony at a naval port in Sanya, Hainan province, on November 5, 2025.
The CV-18 Fujian seen during the commissioning ceremony, showing the newly painted ‘18’ on its deck. (Image credit: CCTV)
Image
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

  • Xi Jinping presided over the November 5 commissioning ceremony in Sanya, officially bringing the PLAN’s third carrier into service, state media reported.
  • Fujian’s electromagnetic catapults enable launches of heavier aircraft and place China alongside the USS Gerald R. Ford as the only carriers using EMALS, with trials shown for the J-35, J-15T and KJ-600.
  • Public estimates put displacement at over 80,000 tons with three catapults and two aircraft elevators, and the conventional propulsion limits endurance compared with U.S. nuclear carriers.
  • Former U.S. carrier officers and independent analysts say the flight-deck layout and systems integration could constrain sortie rates, indicating a lengthy path to full operational capability.
  • China now fields three carriers, second in number only to the U.S., as Japan voices concern over expanded Chinese operations and open reporting points to additional carriers under construction, potentially including a nuclear-powered design.