Source Global Times

BEIJING, China: China's third aircraft carrier the Fujian is holding intensive sea trials, official media recently revealed, with a Chinese military affairs expert saying that the Fujian is expected to test its electromagnetic catapult technologies before its eventual commissioning.

As China's first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian is ramping up its sea trials, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported on Saturday.

The report by CCTV News came after the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration on May 19 released an announcement of traffic control for large vessels in the Yangtze River estuary on Wednesday.

While the announcement did not mention that the traffic control is related to the aircraft carrier Fujian, the announcement led some observers to believe that the Fujian has set out for its eighth sea trial.

In March, in response to reports that China's aircraft carrier Fujian has set sail for its seventh sea trial and analyses suggesting that the focus of this trial is catapult launch and arrested landing, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on March 27 that he had no information to release on the question. But he added that the sea trial is a routine arrangement for the construction of the Fujian.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that as China's first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian needs sufficient tests to verify how the new technologies work. This includes catapult launch tests on aircraft such as fighter jets and early warning aircraft, which have different weights and aerodynamic designs, as well as tests on intervals between catapult launches.

It might take more time for the Fujian to complete all the complex tests with the new catapult technologies compared with China's previous two carriers, but if everything goes well, the Fujian will likely be put into service soon, Fu said.

It took China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, 10 sea trials before commissioning, and the second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, took nine sea trials, according to official media reports.

Holding similar views as Fu, Zhang Junshe, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that due to China's first deployment of electromagnetic catapult technologies on an aircraft carrier, as well as the Fujian's larger size and being able to carry more types of aircraft, the new carrier could need more time in calibrating and testing to ensure stability and reliability compared with the Liaoning and the Shandong.

But with eight sea trials since May last year, it shouldn't be long before the Fujian enters service, Zhang said.

Regarding the combat performance of the Fujian, when it eventually enters service, compared with China's other aircraft carriers and with the adoption of electromagnetic catapults, the aircraft carrier Fujian will be able to significantly increase its daily sortie rate, greatly enhancing its ability to seize air and maritime supremacy, Cao Weidong, a Chinese military affairs expert, said in the CCTV News report.

As the Fujian undergoes sea trials, advanced stealth fighters like the J-35 can be tested for carrier operations, further boosting its combat capabilities. Once commissioned, the Fujian will substantially strengthen the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's capacity for both coastal defense and long-range maritime operations, Cao said.

CCTV News said that, compared to a conventional aircraft carrier, a carrier equipped with catapult-assisted takeoff systems has significant advantages.

With a catapult carrier, fighter jets can take off with full fuel and weapon loads, directly enhancing their combat effectiveness. Additionally, catapult launch systems enable carriers to operate fixed-wing early warning aircraft, greatly improving the carrier's early warning detection capabilities as well as its ability to provide air situational awareness and command coordination for carrier-based aircraft. Furthermore, electromagnetic catapults allow for precise control of launch power, enabling a wide range of aircraft, from large transport planes and early warning aircraft to small drones, to take off from the carrier, which makes the carrier's operational modes more flexible and adaptable, the report said.

In the new era, a wide array of vessels, such as aircraft carriers, new-type strategic nuclear-powered submarines, 10,000 ton-class destroyers, amphibious assault ships and comprehensive replenishment ships, have been commissioned in rapid succession. Carrier-based fighter jets have been delivered in batches, while the families of early warning aircraft and carrier-based helicopters have welcomed new additions, according to CCTV News, adding that from small boats to giant warships, from individual combat units to integrated systems, a modern PLA Navy is taking shape, headed by fourth-generation equipment with third-generation ones being mainstays.