China’s latest aircraft carrier completes first sea trials

(CNN)– China’s new aircraft carrier Fujian completed its first sea trials on Wednesday and returned to the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, according to a Defense Ministry statement cited by the People’s Liberation Army.

The ministry said the aircraft carrier has undergone several tests, including its electrical and propulsion systems, all of which have met expectations.

Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier and the first locally built aircraft carrier in the country.

With a displacement of 80,000 metric tons, Fujian dwarfs the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)’s two active aircraft carriers, the 66,000-ton Shandong and the 60,000-ton Liaoning. Only the United States Navy operates larger aircraft carriers from Fujian.

A tugboat tows China’s third aircraft carrier Fujian away from a dock in Shanghai, east China, on May 1, 2024. Li Tang/Xinhua

The carrier’s key feature is an electromagnetic catapult system that will allow it to launch larger and heavier aircraft than the Shandong and Liaoning, which use a ski jump-style launch method.

The electromagnetic catapult system puts Fujian on par with the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, which is the world’s only active aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system.