China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system which has effectively boosted China's naval combat capabilities.
Independently designed and built by China and officially commissioned last month, the carrier named after Fujian Province in east China is the country's first carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system.
"The greatest advantage of the electromagnetic catapult is its ability to accelerate our aircraft to the required takeoff speed within a relatively short distance. Moreover, its most notable feature lies in its capacity to meet the takeoff requirements of a broader variety of our carrier-based aircraft under different operating conditions," said Bao Yu, an officer on the Fujian carrier.
"With the catapult, the sortie efficiency of the aircraft on the carrier has been significantly improved. That enables us to launch aircraft from the carrier continuously," he said.
The Fujian aircraft carrier, with hull number 18, was launched in June 2022. Unlike the ski-jump decks of China's first two carriers - the Liaoning and the Shandong - it is China's first domestically made carrier that uses catapults.
With a full-load displacement of more than 80,000 tons, the carrier is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices.
Since its first sea trials in May 2024, the Fujian has carried out a series of maritime tests according to planning, progressing with equipment commissioning and assessments of overall operational stability.
Fujian carrier's electromagnetic catapult system boosts China's naval combat capabilities
Fujian carrier's electromagnetic catapult system boosts China's naval combat capabilities
Fujian carrier's electromagnetic catapult system boosts China's naval combat capabilities
