Fujian, China’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, entered sea trials on 1 May 2024, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) announced the same day.
The PLAN stated that Fujian set sail around 0800 local time on sea trials intended to verify the reliability and stability of the carrier’s propulsion and electric power systems.
Fujian was launched on 17 June 2022 and fitted out at Jiangnan Shipyard on Changxing Island, adjacent to the city of Shanghai.
As the PLAN’s first Type 003-class warship, Fujian is China’s first catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR)-configured aircraft carrier. The ship features three electromagnetic catapults, similar to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) used initially by the US Navy carrier USS Gerald R Ford.
Video imagery emerged in November 2023 showing Fujian conducting dead-load launch testing of its electromagnetic catapults.
China’s previous two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, have ‘ski-ramp’ decks rather than catapults for take-offs, as Liaoning began its life as a Soviet-designed Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier and Shandong, as China’s first domestically produced carrier, was built to the same design.
It is likely to be some time before Fujian enters service; Liaoning underwent 10 sea trials before being commissioned, while Shandong conducted nine.
When Fujian is commissioned, however, the PLAN will have the second-largest carrier fleet in the world behind the US Navy, which currently operates 10 Nimitz-class carriers plus USS Gerald R Ford, with second Ford-class carrier John F Kennedy due to be commissioned in 2025.
