By Mudit Dube
Copyright newsbytesapp
China’s latest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has successfully demonstrated its advanced electromagnetic catapult system by launching three different types of aircraft. The test was showcased in footage released by state broadcaster CCTV. The successful launches were seen as a major breakthrough in China’s naval technology and a significant step forward in its maritime transformation efforts. This achievement makes China only the second country in the world, after the United States, to operate a carrier with this advanced launch technology. The Fujian carrier’s new launching system, known as EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System), was used to launch China’s fifth-generation J-35 stealth fighter, 4.5-generation J-15T fighter, and KJ-600 early warning and control aircraft. The successful tests included both catapult launch and arrested landing operations. This puts China on par with the US Navy’s USS Gerald R Ford, which also uses an EMALS system for its flight deck operations. However, the Fujian is fuel powered, unlike the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R Ford. The EMALS system gives the Fujian carrier an edge over China’s two older carriers, Shandong and Liaoning, which use ski-jump-type take-off ramps. This advanced launching system allows carrier aircraft to take off with heavier weapon and fuel loads. Analysts believe this capability will significantly increase the combat range of the Fujian carrier, giving it blue-water capabilities. Analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, has suggested that the successful tests on the Fujian carrier means its official commissioning into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet could be just weeks away. The development of the Fujian carrier comes as a US Congress delegation is in Beijing to discuss ways to improve bilateral exchanges, including military-to-military communication. The talks are part of efforts to prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to larger problems.
