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Fujian carrier finishes sea trial, fighter mock-ups noticed.
Sources say the Chinese aircraft carrier has completed its sixth sea trial. @Rupprecht_A posted a photo of the aircraft carrier returning to China with a rather interesting comment. “As expected, the PLANS-18 „Fujian“ has returned from its 6th sea trial. Interesting, there are several mock-ups visible on deck,” the X account wrote in its post.
This presence is not only unusual but raises many questions about the purpose and nature of these model aircraft being onboard during military tests.
The immediate question that arises is why, in such an important stage of testing and preparation, when assessing capabilities like maneuverability, durability, and combat readiness, these mock-ups are placed on the deck rather than real fighter jets.
One possible reason for using mock-ups could be related to simulating the operational environment of the deck. This allows the crew to test the mechanical processes involved in landing and launching aircraft without using expensive or risky combat jets.
For instance, the mock-ups may be used to study the impact of cargo handling operations or the maneuvering of the carrier, without worrying about the real technical issues that may arise with actual fighter jets.
Although this may seem like merely logistical preparation at first glance, the very presence of the mock-ups also indicates a degree of uncertainty about the ultimate goals of the aircraft carrier.
China is still in the process of perfecting its naval aviation and aircraft carrier development, so these mock-ups may serve as psychological preparation for the crew to become familiar with the appearance and arrangement of the aircraft they will use. It is also possible that they are used for training in deck operations logistics or to practice aircraft positioning during naval combat.
Another possible factor is testing the safety and effectiveness of the deck under load. Simulating the presence of many aircraft using mock-ups could help identify critical load points or operational issues with the aircraft carrier in high-intensity conditions
They may also be part of the program to assess the capabilities of onboard equipment, such as aircraft holding systems or operational facilities for their transport across the deck.
Regardless of the main purpose of these mock-ups, their presence highlights an interesting aspect of military trials. It underscores the importance of preparation for operations with combat aircraft, as well as building the necessary infrastructure for their successful deployment and maintenance.
Such unexpected and unusual elements in sea trials demonstrate how technologies, strategies, and crew preparation must be adapted to the new conditions and challenges of modern naval aviation.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian is a state-of-the-art warship that represents a significant leap in China’s naval capabilities. As China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier equipped with a catapult launch system, Fujian is a symbol of the country’s growing ambitions to become a global maritime power.
The ship’s design and features are built to support a wide range of operations, including naval combat, air defense, and power projection in various maritime regions.
Fujian has a displacement of approximately 80,000 tons, making it one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world. It is equipped with a full-length flight deck that stretches 320 meters in length and 75 meters in width.
The ship features an advanced “island” superstructure located on the starboard side of the flight deck, which houses the command and control centers, radar equipment, and other essential operations spaces.
The design of the Fujian carrier is influenced by the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class carriers, although it incorporates several unique modifications suited to China’s naval requirements.
One of the most notable features of the Fujian aircraft carrier is its propulsion system. Unlike its predecessors, which relied on conventional steam turbines, Fujian uses a more advanced integrated electric propulsion system.
This system is designed to provide greater efficiency and support the powerful electromagnetic catapult system used for launching aircraft. This propulsion system also ensures a higher level of maneuverability and speed, allowing the carrier to operate at full capacity in various maritime conditions.
The Fujian aircraft carrier’s primary role is to serve as a platform for air operations, with its design focused on accommodating a variety of fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft. It has the capacity to carry around 36 to 40 fighter jets, such as the Shenyang J-15, a carrier-based multi-role fighter developed specifically for the Chinese Navy.
In addition to fighter jets, the ship can carry surveillance and early warning aircraft, such as the KJ-600, which is designed to operate from the carrier’s deck. Helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and logistics support can also be deployed from the ship, providing versatility in its operational scope.
In terms of weaponry, the Fujian aircraft carrier is equipped with a range of advanced defense systems to protect itself from aerial, surface, and subsurface threats. The ship is equipped with close-in weapon systems [CIWS] for close-range defense against missiles and aircraft.
Additionally, it features long-range surface-to-air missile systems, such as the HHQ-9, which can engage enemy aircraft and missiles at greater distances. The carrier is also equipped with anti-ship missile systems to defend against surface threats, although the ship’s primary function remains the projection of air power through its carrier-based aircraft.
The flight deck of the Fujian is equipped with a CATOBAR [Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery] system, which is designed to launch aircraft more efficiently compared to traditional ski-jump systems found on older carriers. This system allows for the launch of heavier, more advanced aircraft, enhancing the ship’s combat capabilities.
The catapult system is complemented by arrestor wires that allow for the controlled landing of aircraft, ensuring safe and efficient operations during flight operations. The carrier is also fitted with advanced radar and communications systems to coordinate air traffic and monitor the operational environment in real time.
The ship’s hangar is spacious, designed to house multiple aircraft, and provide room for maintenance and storage. The interior of the carrier is outfitted with modern facilities for the crew, including advanced command centers, living quarters, and operational spaces.
These areas are crucial for sustaining long-duration missions, with the ship capable of operating for extended periods without the need to return to port. The Fujian is also equipped with medical facilities, capable of treating injured personnel and supporting the crew during extended deployments.
Fujian’s operational capabilities are complemented by its ability to operate in various weather conditions, thanks to its robust hull design and advanced navigation systems.
The ship can withstand rough seas and extreme weather, ensuring that it remains a formidable asset in both peacetime and wartime operations. With its increased range and fuel efficiency, the carrier can operate for extended periods without needing to resupply, further enhancing its strategic value.
In terms of overall design, the Fujian aircraft carrier represents the culmination of China’s decades-long efforts to build a blue-water navy capable of projecting power far beyond its coastal waters. Its advanced features, including the electromagnetic catapult launch system, integrated electric propulsion, and versatile flight deck, place it at the forefront of naval technology.
The carrier not only serves as a platform for launching aircraft but also acts as a symbol of China’s ambitions to establish itself as a global maritime power, capable of securing its interests and projecting influence on the world stage.
The Fujian aircraft carrier marks a significant shift in China’s naval strategy and operational capabilities, altering the balance of power in the region and beyond.
From an operational and tactical standpoint, this ship is not just a tool for extending China’s naval reach but also a powerful symbol of the nation’s growing ambitions to assert itself as a dominant global maritime force.
Its capabilities are expected to transform China’s naval operations, enhance its power projection, and reshape regional dynamics, especially in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
One of the key advantages the Fujian brings to the Chinese military is its ability to project air power far from China’s shores. Traditionally, China’s naval assets have been limited by the range of their land-based aircraft, which have often struggled to provide comprehensive coverage over vast maritime distances.
The introduction of the Fujian, with its advanced catapult-assisted takeoff and arrestor wire landing system, allows China to operate fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and early warning systems from a mobile platform, significantly expanding its operational reach.
This capability enables China to maintain a persistent and flexible air presence in contested regions, which is critical for both deterrence and offensive operations.
The ability to launch and recover aircraft from the Fujian gives China a mobile, sea-based base of operations, enhancing the reach of its air force beyond the range of land-based airstrikes or surveillance systems. This is particularly important in the context of the South China Sea, where China has been embroiled in territorial disputes with several Southeast Asian nations, as well as with the United States.
With the Fujian, China can assert control over these disputed waters and monitor and challenge the presence of foreign naval and air forces without relying solely on fixed land-based infrastructure. This mobility, combined with the versatility of its aircraft, allows the Chinese Navy to act with greater strategic flexibility.
From a tactical perspective, the Fujian provides significant advantages in both combat and surveillance operations. The carrier’s capacity to deploy a wide range of aircraft, including advanced fighter jets like the Shenyang J-15, surveillance planes such as the KJ-600, and helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, gives China an unparalleled ability to conduct multi-domain operations.
The aircraft carrier can serve as a command and control hub for air operations, directing fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, and even UAVs in real-time. This level of coordination enhances the effectiveness of Chinese forces in both offensive and defensive operations, allowing them to respond rapidly to changing conditions in maritime combat scenarios.
Furthermore, the advanced electromagnetic catapult launch system on the Fujian marks a major step forward in China’s ability to launch heavier and more complex aircraft compared to traditional ski-jump ramps. This system improves the efficiency of aircraft operations, allowing for quicker launch and recovery times, and increases the number of aircraft that can be deployed over a given time period.
The faster turnaround time between sorties provides a critical edge in high-intensity combat, allowing China to sustain air operations for longer periods and under more adverse conditions. This is particularly important when considering the strategic value of keeping multiple platforms operating simultaneously in a contested area.
Additionally, the presence of the Fujian enhances China’s ability to monitor and control large areas of the sea. Aircraft carriers have long been used not just for offensive air strikes but also as platforms for intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Fujian’s capacity to launch aircraft equipped with advanced radar and surveillance systems allows China to extend its surveillance footprint across a much larger area than ever before.
It becomes a key asset in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance [ISR] operations, providing near real-time data on enemy movements, weather conditions, and potential threats. This enhanced surveillance capability could prove vital in situations where China needs to monitor the activities of foreign naval or air forces operating near its territorial waters, particularly in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
The operational flexibility provided by the Fujian also impacts China’s ability to respond to regional crises and military conflicts. As tensions rise between China and its regional neighbors or the United States, the ability to quickly deploy and operate combat aircraft at a moment’s notice from Fujian becomes an invaluable asset.
In a conflict scenario, the aircraft carrier can provide air superiority over contested areas, conduct strike missions against enemy ships, and conduct reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on enemy forces. The sheer presence of Fujian, with its advanced capabilities, sends a strong message to both regional powers and global actors that China can escalate conflicts quickly and decisively.
One of the most significant operational advantages of Fujian is its role in the concept of “anti-access/area denial” [A2/AD], which is central to China’s military strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Fujian’s ability to launch long-range strike aircraft and provide air superiority in the region helps China to establish a formidable buffer against foreign intervention.
In a potential conflict, Fujian would act as a central node in an A2/AD network, working in tandem with China’s growing missile capabilities, to deny foreign forces the ability to operate freely in critical maritime regions. By using its air assets to establish dominance in contested waters, the Fujian enhances China’s ability to project force and challenge any foreign military presence in the region.
From a logistical standpoint, the Fujian improves China’s naval fleet’s overall operational capabilities. Aircraft carriers serve as hubs for maintaining and resupplying aircraft, and Fujian’s advanced facilities allow for the repair, refueling, and rearming of aircraft at sea.
This reduces China’s dependency on shore-based airfields and increases the endurance of its naval operations. It also allows the Chinese military to sustain longer operations in far-flung areas without needing to return to port for resupply, giving it a higher degree of operational self-sufficiency.
The arrival of the Fujian also strengthens China’s naval forces in terms of deterrence. A carrier-based fleet is one of the most potent forms of military power projection, and the Fujian enables China to maintain a visible and formidable presence on the world’s oceans.
It enhances China’s ability to intervene in regional conflicts, protect its maritime interests, and deter adversaries from challenging its claims to territorial waters. The aircraft carrier is not just a tool for combat but also a psychological asset that can influence the decision-making of potential adversaries by demonstrating China’s military readiness and capability.
Finally, the operational changes introduced by the Fujian are likely to impact China’s naval training and personnel development. Operating such a sophisticated vessel requires advanced training for crew members in areas such as aircraft operations, maintenance, command and control, and logistics.
The carrier will serve as a training platform for the Chinese Navy, helping to improve the proficiency of its sailors and officers in conducting high-level, multi-domain operations. This, in turn, will improve the overall effectiveness of the Chinese Navy as it becomes increasingly capable of conducting complex operations over long durations and in challenging environments.
The Fujian aircraft carrier is a game-changer for the Chinese military. From an operational and tactical perspective, it provides the People’s Liberation Army Navy with unparalleled flexibility, reach, and power projection capabilities.
Its presence enhances China’s ability to assert control over contested regions, deter foreign forces, and project military force across vast distances. The carrier fundamentally alters the calculus of regional security in the Indo-Pacific, and its operational deployment will continue to shape China’s military strategy in the coming years.