The “News Broadcast” on China Central Television (CCTV) recently aired a series of reports introducing the efforts of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leaders and soldiers to prepare for war, to achieve the centenary goal of growing the army and unity in fight. The report included footage of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian Ship, and other equipment and training scenarios from the Air Force, Army, and Navy. The construction shed on the Fujian Ship’s electromagnetic launch gear has been dismantled compared to the 2022 footage, and three launch tracks are clearly seen. The Fujian Ship is undergoing mooring trials, and construction tasks are progressing as scheduled. In an interview with Ta Kung Pao, noted military analyst Song Zhongping stated that the mooring trial is not far from the carrier’s sea trials and commissioning. He expects the Fujian Ship to undergo the sea trial phase following minor changes.
According to CCTV footage, Fujian Ship Captain Yin Hongxin, dressed in military uniform and holding the rank of colonel, stated that in the new year, they will strive day and night, persistently struggle, and strive to form combat capabilities as soon as possible, advancing vigorously towards the centenary goal of building the army.
The Fujian Ship, hull number “18,” is China’s third aircraft carrier. It was conceived and built independently, and it has a level flight deck for longer operations. It is equipped with electromagnetic launch and arrest systems and was launched in June 2022 with a full load displacement of over 80,000 tonnes. A Ministry of National Defence spokesperson confirmed on November 30, 2023, that the Fujian Ship was conducting mooring trials, with additional construction projects proceeding as anticipated.
When comparing the Fujian Ship’s construction procedure to Liaoning and Shandong carriers, some media outlets noted the absence of the “fitting out” milestone in official publications following the Fujian Ship’s launch. According to Song Zhongping, this indicates that many systems and equipment were installed concurrently during the shipyard construction process, significantly simplifying or skipping the fitting-out process after the launch, creating conditions for directly conducting mooring trials and saving time. He credits China’s tremendous advancements in constructing big surface vessels for this efficiency, emphasising the importance of research and construction workers in breaking away from previous models and optimising the aircraft carrier construction process.
According to Song Zhongping, mooring trials are not far from carrier sea trials and commissioning. The next step for the Fujian Ship is to make minor dock adjustments, such as cleaning the hull of marine organisms after mooring trials, performing demagnetisation operations, and making a series of minor modifications based on the progress of the mooring trials before proceeding to the sea trial phase.
Previously, analysts examined recent images and spotted a “support ship” alongside the Fujian Ship, indicating that technical personnel for onboard testing are in place and that the Fujian Ship’s sea trial cruise could begin soon.
Song Zhongping noted that the three electromagnetic launch tracks on the Fujian Ship are standard and contribute to maximising the use of electromagnetic catapults. He pointed out that while US aircraft carriers have four tracks plus a spare, they only use three in practice. Electromagnetic catapults have a high efficiency, and three tracks are sufficient. Furthermore, the relatively lower tonnage of the Fujian Ship compared to the Ford-class carriers in the United States, along with capacity limits, makes three tracks preferable.
Song Zhongping went on to say that China’s aircraft carrier development has certainly reached a tipping point. Compared to other countries that moved through stages such as steam catapults, the country went from having no aircraft carriers to adopting electromagnetic catapults in a single leap. He applauded China for using its wisdom and experience to optimise the aircraft carrier construction process.
Looking ahead, Song Zhongping believes that the next challenge for aircraft carrier construction would be to overcome nuclear power challenges and strive to build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, representing a significant upgrade in China’s aircraft carrier capabilities.
