VESSEL REVIEW | Fujian – Locally built aircraft carrier for Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will soon place a new aircraft carrier (CV) into operational service.

Honouring the province of the same name, the future Fujian (福建) will be the PLAN’s third aircraft carrier after Liaoning and Shandong. However, unlike the two earlier CVs, Fujian was designed and built locally, whereas Liaoning is the ex-Soviet Navy carrier Varyag while Shandong, despite having been built in China, had adopted a design based on that of the Russian Navy’s flagship Admiral Kuznetsov.

Modern aircraft launch systems

The newer CV has a conventional flat flight deck without a ski jump at the bow to assist aircraft launches. The flight deck is instead fitted with three electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) catapults similar to those on the US Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs).

EMALS eliminated the need for large and complex on-board machinery to generate the steam needed to operate conventional catapult launch systems like those fitted on the US Navy’s Nimitz-class CVNs. Also, the steam power plants on Liaoning and Shandong impair the ships’ ability to attain the wind speed over their respective flight decks required to launch heavy fixed-wing aircraft in calm conditions.

Diverse air wing for various mission types

The new carrier measures 316 metres (1,040 feet) long and 76 metres (250 feet) wide and displaces about 80,000 tonnes at full load. Propulsion is by gas turbines linked to generators that provide power to electric motors.

The air wing will include 50 aircraft including J-15 and J-35 fighter-bombers, KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and Z-20 utility and anti-submarine helicopters.

Fujian has already conducted sailings in the South China Sea as part of a final shakedown cruise prior to commissioning. The recent sailings also included EMALS launches and recoveries of the carrier’s embarked fixed-wing strike and support aircraft, as shown in video footage released by the PLAN.

Construction of Fujian was undertaken at the Shanghai facilities of China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Jiangnan Shipyard.