Key Points and Summary – China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is nearing completion, with state media releasing new images teasing its powerful electromagnetic catapult technology.
-This system, comparable to the U.S. Navy’s EMALS, represents a major leap for China, allowing for quicker launches of heavier aircraft.
-The massive 80,000-ton carrier is expected to be commissioned as soon as this August, marking a turning point in China’s naval power projection.
-Furthermore, an even larger, nuclear-powered Type 004 carrier is already under construction, signaling China’s rapid progress in rivaling U.S. supercarriers.
China’s Electromagnetic Catapults Teased By State Media
China’s newest aircraft carrier, fitted with electromagnetic catapult technology, looks to be nearing completion. Reports revealed how the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is preparing to demonstrate aircraft launch and recovery on its new Fujian Type 003 carrier.
While authorities have yet to show the Fujian in action, Chinese state media have shared unseen videos and photographs of the new carrier. Over the last week, images and videos shared online have shown some flight operations aboard the ship as preparations step up for the celebration of the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army.
Among the latest imagery shared by state-run media is an image of the Shenyang J-15T. The Chinese single-seat carrier-based aircraft was positioned, ready for a catapult launch. The video did not show the aircraft being launched from the new system, however. Additional videos showed shadows of aircraft flying over the aircraft.
Meet China’s Fujian Aircraft Carrier
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is by far its most advanced. Launched in 2022 and currently undergoing sea trials, the carrier is the first from China equipped with electromagnetic catapults – technology previously only deployed by the United States and France. Comparable to the United States Navy’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), China’s catapult launch allows for smoother, quicker, and more powerful launches of heavier aircraft on ships.
The system is expected to accommodate next-generation aircraft that have yet to enter service, along with fixed-wing early warning planes. Recent images shared by Chinese media suggests that live trials are already underway.
With an estimated full-load displacement of 80,000 to 85,000 tons, the Fujian rivals U.S. supercarriers in both size and technological capabilities. The ship is expected to be commissioned this year, possibly as soon as this August, right in time for the PLA’s anniversary.
The carrier’s integration into China’s fleet of aircraft carriers will be a turning point for China’s naval power projection at a time of heightened tensions in the Indo–Pacific region, and between the U.S., China, and its allies. It’s a huge development for China, but it’s also only one of multiple new naval projects China is expected to launch in the coming years.
In March, progress on an even larger and more advanced nuclear-powered carrier’s progress was confirmed when satellite imagery reviewed by analysts suggested that an upcoming Type 004 vessel will rival the largest vessel in the U.S. Navy’s fleet.
Analysts told NBC News in March that images of China’s Dalian shipbuilding facility confirmed that the vessel would allow fighter jets to be launched from four areas on its flight deck – an upgrade over the Fujian, which has the capacity to launch aircraft from three parts of the vessel.
Analysts said at the time that the general consensus was that the coming carrier will be able to accommodate roughly the same number of aircraft as the United States’ largest carriers, including the USS Gerald R. Ford.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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JingleBells
August 4, 2025 at 2:04 pm
The carrier sporting cutting-edge naval EMALS tech is fine on paper, but paper won’t save you when the modern day genghis comes a-calling.
Today, the whole damn world has become completely enveloped in chaos, mayhem, massive uncertainty, bloody war, unfettered genocide and with a full intent to go straight down the abyss, thanks to the west now being led by psychopathic leaders armed with hitler-type global visions and global plans.
So, the EMALS carrier is definitely the wrong answer to the global problems confronting us today.
So, what’s the right answer.
Fleets of spaceplanes, spacebombers, suborbital craft and FOBS gliders.
Get that long overdue space shuttle flying, now, today.
It’s a life-or-death decision.
RequestBeingVerified
August 4, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Aircraft carriers, like nuclear submarines, are a massive massive unspeakable money-sucking machine that can potentially bankrupt any nation.
It’s better to spend the money on space shuttles that can be replaced on a scheduled basis.
A space shuttle is far cheaper to build and operate and very easily replaced. Not aircraft carriers and submarines.
Moreover, they’re hard to target and ambush.