China launches first aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapult
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China has launched its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, with an electromagnetic catapult. The fully domestically-built naval vessel is Beijing's third aircraft carrier. It is named after China's eastern coastal province.
The electromagnetic catapult can launch planes from the deck. This will be a faster system than the older steam catapult system.
It will soon start mooring trials and sea trials.
Fujian was launched at a brief ceremony at the Shanghai shipyard to extend the range of China's navy in the Indo-Pacific region. Originally set to launch on April 23 around the 73rd anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy, the programme was delayed by two months due to the Covid-19 lockdown in the city.
Xu Qiliang, a member of the political bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission was present at the ceremony.
The ceremony concluded after the ribbon cut marked the launch.
The aircraft carrier is built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation. It has a displacement of over 80,000 tonnes and is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices, reported the Chinese state media Global Times. It also has a flat, straight flight deck. State broadcaster CCTV reported that Fujian is a Type 003 warship with a hull number of 18.
China plans to launch around five aircraft carriers and the next one is expected to be nuclear-powered. The first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of a Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012. It was followed by another one, Shandong in 2019.