The new aircraft carrier “fujian“, named after one of the Chinese provinces as tradition says, presents important technological improvements compared to its predecessors.
The new platform is “the first catapult aircraft carrier completely designed and built by China,” state television CCTV said.
The ship was launched into the sea in a ceremony attended by a regiment of white-clad sailors who applauded under colorful clouds of steam released over the ship to celebrate its debut.
This introduction marks a major milestone in China’s military career.
The “Fujian” has significantly more advanced technology than its two predecessors, including an electromagnetic propulsion system, which allows the planes to be loaded with more fuel and weapons reserves.
It will now undergo various sea trials and will then be returned to the naval forces.
China has not specified when it will enter servicebut it will not be immediately and the process can take years.
The launch ceremony coincides with the heightening of geopolitical tensions with the United States over the Asia Pacific region and with the many territorial disputes with other countries over the South China Sea.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe warned the United States last week that his country would fight “at any cost and to the end” to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence.
Collin Koh, a researcher at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the ship can mark a “point of inflection” for the Chinese Navy.
At the level of internal politics, “an aircraft carrier also symbolizes the strength of a country and feeds the discourse of the Game Communist Chinese (PCC),” he added.
However, it may be years before the “Fujian” is fully operational.
The first such ship of the Chinese navy, the “Liaoning“, entered service in 2012 and served primarily as a training platform.
The accumulated knowledge was later used for the “Shandong“, the first aircraft carrier built entirely by China and commissioned at the end of 2019.
However, unlike US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the Chinese ship uses conventional technology.
Source: Ambito
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