The new Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian (Type 003) is undergoing intense sea trials. Fujian, China’s largest and most advanced carrier, will significantly boost Beijing’s ability to project power globally and expand China’s “blue-water” capabilities. However, it still cannot match the U.S. Nimitz class carriers, let alone the latest Gerald R. Ford. However, China isn’t stopping there.
Fujian is China’s first aircraft carrier designed and built with an electromagnetic (EM) catapult system. This key capability allows Fujian to launch not only heavier and larger aircraft than its predecessors Liaoning (Type 001) and Shandong (Type 002) but also relatively light drones, because of the the precisely controllable power of the EM catapult.
Liaoning and Shandong are based on Soviet designs and have a ski jump flight deck. This limits the fuel and armament loads of the aircraft. Naval turboprop early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C), such as the Chinese KJ-600, also cannot take off from the ship.
With a displacement of 60,000 to 66,000 tons, Liaoning is China’s first operational aircraft carrier. It began construction in the Soviet Union in 1985, as part of Project 1143.5. After the USSR dissolved in 1991, construction halted. Beijing bought the unfinished ship in 1998, and Liaoning entered service in 2012, becoming combat-ready in 2016.
The first aircraft carrier built in China was Shandong (an improved Liaoning). The construction began in 2013, and the 66,000- to 70,000-ton vessel saw its launch in 2017. It officially entered the Navy in 2019 and achieved initial operational capability in October 2020.
Construction on Fujian began in Shanghai between 2015 and 2017 (sources vary), with a launch date of 2022. It is expected to be combat-ready by next year, assuming everything goes according to plan.
Besides the U.S. Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, this is the only one equipped with EM catapults. However, Fujian has only three launch tracks compared to Gerald R. Ford’s four, resulting in a slower tempo of flight operations. At full load, Fujian has a displacement of over 80,000 tons. All U.S. Navy aircraft carriers—the Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford classes—have a displacement of 100,000 tons.
Additionally, Chinese carriers have conventional propulsion, while the American carriers and the French Charles de Gaulle use nuclear reactors, enabling these Western warships to remain at sea for long periods without refueling.
China has nuclear-powered submarines and an advanced civilian nuclear program, so nuclear reactors for aircraft carriers are technologically feasible. Perhaps China currently does not intend to deploy its carriers globally, but mainly in the western Pacific (Nine-Dash Line). China may prefer to build conventionally powered ships more quickly. Therefore, a permanent Chinese carrier presence in the Atlantic or Mediterranean is unlikely for now.
Nevertheless, Fujian significantly enhances China’s ability to operate in “blue waters” (the open ocean). The term refers to deep-sea areas far from the coast, usually beyond the direct reach of coastal defense systems. A navy capable of long-term operations on the open ocean and on a global scale, without needing constant resupply or frequent returns to port, is known as a “Blue Water Navy.”
A blue-water navy must ensure long-term logistical support for its ships (e.g., China’s Type 901 supply ships) and have fleets capable of conducting complex military, humanitarian, rescue, and logistical operations anywhere in the world.
However, the most important task of a blue-water navy is power projection and strategic signaling. This allows a nation to influence events in distant regions and impose its vision of order on affected actors. In China’s case, a blue-water navy also serves to protect maritime routes to and from Africa.
The introduction of three carriers into service is referred to as the “three-carrier era,” according to Western analysts. After the United States, China will be the only country with more than two aircraft carriers. This will enable Beijing to have one carrier in active deployment, another in maintenance/modernization, and a third in combat readiness (ready for military operations and exercises on demand).
With its 11 aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy can keep three to four ships in active deployment at any given time, with others ready for immediate deployment or maintenance. This enables the United States to have a global presence in virtually all of the world’s oceans and respond to multiple crises at the same time.
In contrast, the Royal Navy, with its two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales (both conventionally powered), cannot maintain a continuous global presence. Over time, both ships must undergo repairs and maintenance in port. For example, in October 2022, this was the case for a four-month period.
Fujian began a week-long sea trial in April this year. The ship set sail again in May for 20 days in the Yellow Sea. For its third outing, Fujian went to sea in July with aircraft onboard, though it’s unclear whether any planes took off. The vessel was last observed in early September in the Yellow Sea, accompanied by two smaller ships, likely two Type 054A frigates or a Type 054A frigate and a Type 052D destroyer.
The Yellow Sea hosts major naval bases in the cities of Qingdao and Dalian, which provide essential logistical and servicing support. Additionally, the Shandong Peninsula houses naval aviation bases, making it easier to conduct exercises with aircraft and helicopters. The Yellow Sea is ideal for testing Chinese aircraft carriers because it is relatively difficult for the U.S. to access, making close observation of exercises and sea trials more challenging.
In June, Fujian and a Type 901 supply ship were likely conducting a resupply exercise in port. Fast supply ships are critical for operating carrier strike groups in the open ocean. So far, the Chinese Navy has had two aircraft carriers and two Type 901 supply ships. There is no information yet on the construction of a third supply ship.
Organizational reasons explain the absence of a third Type 901, according to the Polish portal Konflikty, Liaoning was reportedly never considered a full-fledged combat vessel by the Chinese admiralty. It is viewed more as a training and test ship. Nonetheless, China has actively deployed it, such as near the Japanese islands of Miyakojima in 2022. However, Liaoning seems likely to continue operating near China’s coast, allowing it to return to port quickly.
Fujian has hosted a variety of mock-up aircraft on its deck, including J-15B multirole fighters (a naval version of the J-15 modified for catapult launches), JL-10 trainers, KJ-600s, and the stealthy FC-31 aircraft (considered China’s F-35 equivalent).
In August, low-quality photographs showed drones in a flying-wing configuration on Fujian’s deck. These might be mock-ups of GJ-11 (Li-Jian) heavy drones, or a naval version known as GJ-11J.
The question of onboard training aircraft remains unresolved. The JL-10G and JL-9G are competing for the contract. In June, there was a report of a “touch and go” maneuver by a JL-9G on Liaoning’s deck. The competing JL-10G has only appeared on carriers as a mock-up, possibly indicating the navy’s preference for the cheaper JL-9G.
Although the progress of China’s navy is impressive, it still lags behind the U.S., particularly in terms of drones. In August of this year, the Pentagon announced the installation of the first onboard command station for drones on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.
China, on the other hand, does not yet need to confront the United States globally, but only locally—in the South China Sea, where it claims territory within the Nine-Dash Line, an unofficial boundary marking China’s historical claims to most of the South China Sea.
The Nine-Dash Line covers about 90% of the South China Sea, including waters, islands, reefs, and other formations. China first published a map of the Nine-Dash Line in 1947. Although it is not clearly defined under international law, China uses it to assert its historical rights to the area.
The South China Sea is rich in natural resources, including fish and potential oil and gas reserves. China claims exclusive rights to these resources within the Nine Dash Line, which will likely become the primary operational area for Chinese aircraft carriers.
However, China does not plan to stop there. Since 2017, it has reportedly been building a fourth aircraft carrier, Type 004, with a displacement of 110,000 tons. Although based on Type 003, it is expected to be nuclear-powered. This would enable Type 004 to operate permanently off the coast of Africa. Overall, China plans to operate six aircraft carriers by 2035. This would allow it to have two or three carriers deployed simultaneously: one in the Indian Ocean, one in the Nine-Dash Line region, and one possibly further afield, off the coast of South America or the Mediterranean Sea.