‘Fujian,’ China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, is launched

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare

 Shanghai ShanghaiSHANGHAI: China launched its third and most sophisticated aircraft carrier on Friday from Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, using a new launch technology that experts say is quickly catching up to the US. 

The ship, dubbed “Fujian,” is China’s first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, its catapult-assisted launch technology is a significant enhancement over the Liaoning and Shandong’s less advanced ski jump-style launch systems.

The new system, which is comparable to that used by US aircraft carriers, will enable China to launch a larger range of aircraft from Fujian at a faster rate and with more ammunition.

In addition to the launch mechanism, the Fujian has blocking devices and a full-load displacement of more than 80,000 tons, according to Xinhua. After the launch, the ship will conduct anchoring and navigation tests.

The new ship will be the Chinese military’s “first foray into a modern aircraft carrier,” according to Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at CSIS’s China Project.

He says that this is a really major step forward, and that they’ve put a lot of effort into developing a carrier program, and they’re still pushing the limits of what they can do.

Related Posts

China names its aircraft carriers after its coastline provinces, beginning with Liaoning in the northeast and ending with Shandong in the east. The nearest province to Taiwan is Fujian in the southeast, separated by a strait that is less than 80 miles (128 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point.

Despite never having administered Taiwan, China’s ruling Communist Party claims sovereignty over the self-governing democracy. Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has stated repeatedly that “reunification” between China and Taiwan is unavoidable and has refused to rule out the use of force.

China today commands the world’s greatest naval force, and aircraft carriers are the backbone of any major power’s navy. The large ships function as mobile airbases, allowing for the fast and long-term deployment of aircraft and weaponry to a conflict zone.

China’s naval buildup coincides with rising geopolitical tensions with the United States, which is attempting to improve connections with friends and partners in the Asia-Pacific area under President Joe Biden in order to counter Beijing’s expanding economic and military dominance.

Last year, Beijing objected to AUKUS, a security deal between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia in which the three countries agreed to share military information and technology in order to build a tighter defense partnership in Asia. The naval maneuvers, which were attended by members of the Quad, a resurgent informal discussion group between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, have further upset Beijing.

Rianne Motas

Rianne Motas is a Business Economics major from the University of Santo Tomas - Philippines.

Recent Posts

ChatGPT’s Free Ghibli-Style Image Generator Sparks Creative Frenzy and Controversy

OpenAI updated ChatGPT-4o to include its best text-to-image tools so free users can generate Studio Ghibli artwork by giving basic…

March 30, 2025

Piyush Gupta bows out as DBS Bank CEO after leadership for 15 years

The stepping down of Piyush Gupta from the post of CEO of DBS Bank came after 15 years of leading…

March 29, 2025

Delhi Education Department Releases Results for Classes 6 to 11

The Delhi Directorate of Education releases 2025-26 marks for year-end tests in school levels 6 through 11. Online test data…

March 29, 2025

Singapore to Become Global Basketball Hub with Three Major FIBA Events in 2026 and 2027

Singapore will further cement its status as an important basketball destination when it hosts three FIBA 3x3 events in 2026…

March 29, 2025

The Jewel Of Section: Watch episode 13 online; check the release date & streaming platforms

Jewel Section E, directed by Theodore Boborol and starring Ashtine Olviga as Jay-Jay Mariano, Andres Muhlach as Mark Keifer Watson,…

March 29, 2025

Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ leading airline, started seat sales, and the first aircraft delivery will be in 2025

Cebu Pacific celebrates the delivery of its very first aircraft for 2025, the 459-seat Airbus A330neo, delivered at Ninoy Aquino…

March 28, 2025