--- title: "China’s New Aircraft Carrier Pulls Away From Its Pier Ahead Of Sea Trials" description: "China’s latest aircraft carrier, the *Fujian*, appears poised to leave port to begin initial sea trials. The development comes soon after five aircraft mockups appeared on the deck of the flattop, as you can [read about here](), and a little…" date: "2024-04-29" modified: "2024-04-29" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/chinas-new-aircraft-carrier-pulls-away-from-its-pier-ahead-of-sea-trials" categories: - "Air" - "Around The Globe" - "Carriers" - "China" - "Indo-Pacific" - "Kuznetsov Class (and variants)" - "Naval Aviation" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "People's Liberation Army Navy (China)" - "Sea" --- # China’s New Aircraft Carrier Pulls Away From Its Pier Ahead Of Sea Trials ![China’s latest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, appears poised to leave port to begin its first at-sea trials. The development comes soon after five aircraft mockups appeared on the deck of the flattop, as you can read about here. Once the Fujian goes to sea, it will mark a hugely important step in the development of China’s naval aviation, with the carrier being the first of its kind to be fully locally designed and also its first to launch aircraft via catapults rather than by a ‘ski jump’ takeoff ramp.]() *Activity at Jiangnan Shipyard today indicates that China’s latest aircraft carrier is about to go to sea for the first time. via X* China’s latest aircraft carrier, the *Fujian*, appears poised to leave port to begin initial sea trials. The development comes soon after five aircraft mockups appeared on the deck of the flattop, as you can [read about here](), and a little over three months since we got our best view of the warship [in its completed form](). Once the *Fujian* goes to sea, it will mark a hugely important step in the development of the country’s naval aviation, with the carrier being the first of its kind to be fully locally designed and also China’s first to launch aircraft via catapults rather than by a ‘ski jump’ takeoff ramp. https://twitter.com/Hurin92/status/1784922444051956162 https://twitter.com/Hurin92/status/1784950732040376478 Imagery that was posted on social media today shows the aircraft carrier leaving its moorings at the Jiangnan Shipyard, on Changxing Island, at the mouth of the Yangtze River to the north of Shanghai. The warship is seen moving under its own power while being attended to by several tugboats, with signal flags displayed on its island superstructure. https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1784906466828370062 Immediately, speculation began that the *Fujian* had headed out of port to begin sea trials, although, at the time of writing, the carrier was reportedly still in the Yangtze River. Here it has been [suggested]() that the vessel may be in the process of being turned around to move upstream in the Yangtze before entering the main channel that heads out to sea. https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1784866219264483782 https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1784849140494602581 Earlier, there had been speculation that the carrier might go to sea on April 23, a date that’s [celebrated]() as the 75th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A few days before that, the warship had been noted undergoing tests of its conventional propulsion system. https://twitter.com/RupprechtDeino/status/1630242789979230209 Whatever the timescale, it’s now clear that we will see *Fujian* underway in the open ocean sooner rather than later. The path to this point began with the first sighting of a hull module destined for the carrier at Jiangnan in the summer of 2018. Over the next two years, the carrier — which was completed to a local design known as the Type 003 — took shape at the shipyard, with final assembly beginning in the drydock around summer 2020. Finally, on June 17, 2022, the new carrier was launched and officially named *Fujian*, in a high-profile event you can read about [here](). ![]() *The launching ceremony of the third Chinese aircraft carrier, th*e Fujian, at Jiangnan Shipyard, on June 17, 2022, in Shanghai, China.* Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images* The *Fujian* follows on from the PLAN’s two in-service aircraft carriers, the Type 001 *[Liaoning](),* and the Type 002 *[Shandong]()*. The first of these warship was acquired from Ukraine as an incomplete Soviet [*Kuznetsov* class ship](), the *Varyag*. The second was built in China but very closely followed the design of the Type 001. The *Liaoning* and the *Shandong* are equipped for short takeoff but arrested recovery, or STOBAR, operations. This involves launching fixed-wing aircraft with the aid of the ‘ski jump’ on the bow and then recovering them using arrester wires. ![]() *A photo taken on April 9, 2023, shows a J-15 fighter taking off from the ski jump on the carrier *Shandong* during a combat readiness patrol and military exercises around Taiwan. *Photo by An Ni/Xinhua via Getty Images** The *Fujian*, in contrast, lacks a bow ramp and instead is equipped for catapult-assisted takeoff but arrested recovery, or CATOBAR, operations. While recovery is the same, CATOBAR carriers employ catapults to launch fixed-wing aircraft, allowing them to take off with much heavier fuel and weapons loads. https://twitter.com/foolsball/status/1784966363309580469 The advantages of CATOBAR are further enhanced in the Type 003 design, which also employs advanced [electromagnetic aircraft launch system]() (EMALS) type catapults — three in total — rather than the traditional steam-powered ones. Currently, the U.S. Navy’s [*Gerald R. Ford* class]() is the only other type of in-production carrier with EMALS and the introduction of this technology by the United States has been [far from straightforward](). https://twitter.com/Hurin92/status/1783007059094462664 https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1784968378383499417 Last November, *TWZ* [reported]() on what were apparently the first tests of the EMALS on the *Fujian*, which involved a catapult test ‘truck’ being propelled off the deck and into the basin where the carrier was then moored. https://twitter.com/HenriKenhmann/status/1728685029801509359 Otherwise, the *Fujian* appears to have roughly similar dimensions to its PLAN predecessors, with reports of a flight deck length of around 1,040 feet, and a beam of around 250 feet. The new carrier is expected to have a greater displacement than the earlier warships, with a fully loaded displacement of around 80,000 tons, compared with approximately 70,000 tons for the *Liaoning* and around 61,000 tons for the *Shandong*. In terms of self-defense armament, the *Fujian* retains the combination of [HQ-10]() short-range surface-to-air missiles and [30mm multi-barrel close-in weapon systems]() (CIWS), while its sensors and electronics include a new type of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on the island’s superstructure. Most significant, however, will be the new types of aircraft that will be able to operate from the *Fujian*. The new-look PLAN carrier air wing aboard the *Fujian* is likely to be spearheaded by the stealthy J-35 multirole fighter, an aircraft you can read all about [here](). ![A prototype J-35 stealth flghter in flight]() *A prototype J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter in flight. *via X* Chinese internet via X/Twitter* At one stage, it seemed as though the J-35 would be restricted to operations from the Type 003, and subsequent carriers expected to follow on from it. More recently, it seems [there may be plans]() to operate it from the Type 001 and 002 carriers as well, although this would reduce the potential of the jet, based on the lack of catapults. As well as the J-35, there is a [CATOBAR development of the J-15](), the Chinese-made version of the [Su-33 Flanker]() fighter that serves as the primary combat equipment aboard the *Liaoning* and the *Shandong*. This will provide valuable continuity for pilots and deck crews already familiar with the J-15, while also overcoming the various limitations in terms of payload and performance that come with operating naval Flankers — or any other aircraft, for that matter — from STOBAR carriers. Meanwhile, the J-15 is also taking on new roles, with the new carrier also expected to embark examples of the two-seat [J-15D electronic warfare jet](), which would very likely fulfill a role similar to that of the [EA-18G Growler]() with the U.S. Navy. https://twitter.com/louischeung\_hk/status/1543515005869404160 Just as important as these combat jets will be the arrival of the [KJ-600]() airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, a direct equivalent of the [E-2 Hawkeye]() used aboard U.S. Navy and [French Navy]() carriers. This class of heavy, slow-flying type can only be operated from a CATOBAR-type vessel and it promises to bring a step change to the way the PLAN coordinates carrier-centric air operations, bringing a new level of airborne surveillance, networking, and aerial battle management capabilities. ![]() *Another satellite image shows a KJ-600 prototype in the green primer paint now frequently seen on Chinese naval aircraft. **via Chinese internet*** Meanwhile, the PLAN is also heavily engaged in modernizing its rotary-wing fleet, with different versions of the H-60 [Seahawk-like Z-20]() at the forefront of these plans. In particular, this type will be tasked with providing a defensive anti-submarine warfare screen around the carrier strike group. So far, mockups of the J-15, J-35, and KJ-600 [have all already appeared]() on the *Fujian*, together with the JL-10J, a carrier-compatible version of the JL-10J advanced jet trainer. ![Mockups seen on the deck of the Chinese carrier Fujian]() *Five aircraft mockups seen on the deck of the carrier *Fujian* earlier this month. *via X* Unknown author* https://twitter.com/RupprechtDeino/status/1780124914457989420 There is also the likelihood that the *Fujian* will eventually also be [used to embark uncrewed aircraft](), which has been a [growing area of interest]() for the PLAN. While the *Fujian* is set to be a notable improvement over the two carriers that preceded it, there’s still a long path ahead to operational service. At-sea trials and tests of various equipment and systems are likely to take at least another year, especially bearing in mind this will be the PLAN’s first introduction to CATOBAR operations and EMALS. Reports from state-run Chinese media [have suggested]() that the *Fujian* could be commissioned into service in 2025, but [more sober analysis]() suggests this will likely not happen until 2026. Beyond that, Western observers widely expect there to be subsequent Chinese aircraft carriers. Depending on the success of the *Fujian*, such vessels might be direct follow-ons that conform to the same Type 003 design. On the other hand, there has long been speculation that the PLAN’s ambitions also include more capable, larger designs, likely with nuclear propulsion. Whatever the case, today’s activity at the Jiangnan Shipyard reinforces the fact that now is a very interesting time for Chinese naval aviation. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()