China’s Aircraft carrier Fujian induction and the geopolitical interest: By Balaji Chandramohan
- Chennai Centre for China Studies
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
Image Courtesy: The Quint
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has officially inducted Fujian After extensive trials, China’s third aircraft carrier adding offensive capabilities for Beijing in the Indo Pacific region. 1
Chinese President Xi Jinping boarded the Fujian for an inspection tour in the city of Sanya in southern Hainan province. China is undergoing military modernization under President Xi Jinping, who has sought to challenge the United States' military supremacy with the goal of Beijing's armed forces being "world-class" by 2049.
The above has resulted in the building of the world's largest navy, with over 370 vessels, including the recently inducted aircraft carriers CNS Liaoning, CNS Shandong and the Fujian.
Exact details of China’s Fujian-class, also known as the Type 003, aircraft carrier are uncertain, with Beijing giving little away as it guards information and capabilities.
Despite that US Naval Intelligence (ONI) gives a length of 315 metres (m), the same as the two former Russian Kutznetsov-class aircraft carriers acquired by China in the mid-2010s, now named Liaoning and Shandong (also known as the Type 001/Type 002).
By comparison, the US Navy’s Kitty Hawk-class fleet carriers, first entering service in the 1960s and leaving by the late-2000s, measured 319m in length, displacing 83,000 tonnes at full load. It is likely that the Fujian/Type 003 will displace similar to the Kitty Hawk class, in the 80,000-tonne range.
On the other hand, China’s other proposed aircraft carriers such as Liaoning and Shandong, which also measure 315m according to US Intelligence , are narrower vessels, albeit with larger islands, displacing in the 60,000 tonne range. Other sources indicate the Type 001 and Type 002 carriers have a length of between 305-310m.
Analysis of available imagery of the Fujian shows a single pyramidal-shaped island located just aft of the vessel’s centrepoint, indicative of a concept of operations that favours aircraft operations, rather than ship manoeuvre.
Similar to the layouts of US Navy carriers through the decades, this differs from the French Navy’s Charles De Gaulle, which has its island located more to the fore, or the UK Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, which have two islands that focus on different ship operations as per reliable sources. 2
The Type 003’s island also contains its radars and other main sensors, which have been integrated into the structure, leaving a smooth finish that reduces radar cross section, as much as is possible for an 80,000-tonne warship. The island houses panels that will be the ship’s AESA radar, as well as other sensors.
In addition, the ship’s integrated funnel is incorporated into the island, enabling the expelling of gases from the vessel’s likely combined gas and diesel drive/integrated electric propulsion. This system will also power its electromagnetic catapults for aircraft launch which is a novel aspect in carriers aviation.
Although weaponry of the carriers is unknown, the sea trials images indicate two close-in weapons systems (CIWS) on its port side and two missile-based point defence systems, not dissimilar to the US Navy’s SEARAM. Top-down imagery shows that this is effectively duplicated on the starboard side, giving four rotary cannon CIWS and four missile-based point defence systems.3
In addition, a centrally located section on port and starboard show what could be directed energy, possibly acoustic, weapon systems for advanced aircraft operations.
The other details include three catapults for aircraft launch, two lifts to bring aircraft up from the hangar, four ‘trap’ recovery lines, and five clearly marked landing areas for rotary-wing aircraft as per reliable sources.
The US is the only other country in the world to have an aircraft carrier with the same electromagnetic catapult system as Fujian. With three aircraft carriers in service, it remains to be seen when the Chinese military will conduct another dual-aircraft carrier—or its first tri-aircraft carrier—deployment.
The Fujian, the country's third aircraft carrier, is equipped with electromagnetic catapults which will allow planes to be launched at higher speeds.Its entry into active duty marked a significant step forward for Beijing, which now has the world's largest navy in terms of sheer number of ships. 4
China has been expanding its navy at breakneck speed under Xi Jinping putting pressure on the United States and its allies to keep up.
For the world’s largest navy, Fujian is a significant force multiplier, one that will allow the PLAN to project power far beyond Chinese shores well into the Island chains and the Indian Ocean.
From India’s point of view, with the operationalisation of Fujian, China may also extend the deployment of aircraft carriers in India's backyard, the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, where its naval fleet is active with bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and Pakistan's Gwadar, besides the commercial port, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, which China acquired as a debt swap.
The Indian Navy, which operates two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, is also catching up by commissioning more naval ships to maintain its dominance in the Indian Ocean and in the greater Indo Pacific. 5
On the other hand technically, the two older Chinese carriers, Russia-designed Liaoning and Shandong, as well as the two Indian carriers currently in service, relied on ramps to launch aircraft. Although cheaper and easier to operate, carriers in this configuration can only launch lighter aircraft with smaller payloads.
To fling heavier aircraft into the sky, an extra push is needed: one that can be provided by catapults. These complex systems are expensive to build and maintain, but the added acceleration from the catapults boosts operational flexibility beyond the immediate shore of China.
Fujian is the first Chinese carrier, and the 13th carrier currently in service (after 11 American carriers and one French carrier), to use this technology. Fujian is also only the second carrier after the USS Gerald R Ford to use electromagnetic catapults; the old Nimitz class carriers and the French carrier Charles de Gaulle use steam catapults.
The US undoubtedly has the strongest carrier fleet on the planet. Its fleet of 11 carriers would be larger than a combined fleet of all other aircraft carriers in the world (China now has three carriers, India, the UK and Italy have two each, and France, Russia and Spain one each).6
Moreover, every American carrier is larger and more capable than every other carrier in the world — including Fujian. For one, unlike the American carriers and the (much smaller) Charles de Gaulle, Fujian is not nuclear-operated, fundamentally limiting its range. Furthermore, its fight deck is not nearly as large and optimally designed as the American carriers.7
The US Navy, on the other hand, has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. All of China's vessels are conventionally powered, although there's evidence that it's pursuing a nuclear-powered design. Furthermore, while only one of China's carriers has a catapult, all of the US carriers have catapults. Nimitz-class ships are equipped with steam-driven catapults, while the new first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford has electromagnetic ones.
Yet, with a displacement of 80,000 tonnes, the Fujian is the closest thing afloat to American carriers in the world, comparable in size to the British carriers but more capable due to its catapult system. Regardless of its capabilities, the carrier will play a key role in domestic propaganda and power projection.8
According to China experts Fujian to be deployed around Taiwan as a part of annexing the first island chain. That the carrier is named after the southeastern province overlooking the Taiwan strait is likely no coincidence. In recent years, Beijing has been turning up the heat on Taipei; Xi has personally pledged “reunification”, by force if necessary.9
Also, combat trials, the most significant aspect of this deployment is Beijing’s display of control over the Taiwan Strait, especially following the recent passage of Australian and Canadian vessels through the strait. While foreign navies use the Taiwan Strait to send messages, China is also leveraging the strait to communicate. This reflects Beijing’s naval signalling strategy in recent years, with “showing the flag” serving as its clearest assertion of maritime dominance around Taiwan.
It should also be noted that the primary objective of the Fujian’s southward movement is the South China Sea which happens to be in the Second Island Chain.
Following the recent confrontations between Chinese naval and coast guard vessels and Philippine ships – incidents that Manila heavily publicized while partnering with the U.S., India, Australia, and Canada in joint naval exercises – the deployment of the Fujian can be interpreted as a response to the maritime alliance in the Indo Pacific. The carrier is expected anchored in the South Sea Fleet escort vessels and conduct joint maritime exercises, carrying an implicit deterrence message toward the Philippines.
Earlier, construction of the Fujian reportedly began at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard in March 2017, and on June 17, 2022, the carrier was launched to great fanfare. The Fujian took approximately 104 months from the start of construction to commissioning into the PLAN. In comparison, China’s Shandong carrier took 72 months.
The Fujian is the first Chinese carrier to feature a “catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery” (CATOBAR) launch system. China’s first two aircraft carriers rely on less advanced ski jump-style “short take-off, barrier-arrested recovery” (STOBAR) systems.
Notably, the Fujian leapfrogged steam-powered catapult systems and instead relies on an electromagnetic system similar to the EMALS pioneered by the U.S. Ford-class carriers which is unique in carrier aviation.
Compared to its predecessors, the Fujian’s more advanced system enables it to launch heavier fixed-wing aircraft with greater fuel and payload capacity.
The Fujian is larger than its predecessors, which allows it to support a more robust airwing. It displaces roughly 80,000 tonnes, compared to the Liaoning’s 60,000 tonnes and the Shandong’s 66,000. The Fujian is also considerably larger than France’s Charles de Gaulle carrier (42,000 tonnes) and the United Kingdom’s HMS Queen Elizabeth (65,000 tonnes), but smaller than the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class carrier (100,000 tonnes).
While the Fujian is more advanced than its Chinese predecessors, it is still conventionally powered rather than nuclear-powered. Meanwhile, all U.S. carriers and France’s Charles de Gaulle are nuclear-powered.
China’s newest aircraft carrier comes into service amid a broader push for naval aviation capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
Indonesia has reportedly examined plans to procure the retired Italian Navy flattop Giuseppe Garibaldi for conversion into a drone mothership wielding Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles. South Korean defense firm Hyundai Heavy Industries has repeatedly pitched manned and unmanned carrier concepts to Seoul amid its naval modernization efforts.
Japan’s conversion efforts to support fifth-generation F-35B fighter jets aboard the Izumo-class of aviation destroyers are reaching their completion, with full deck conversions having been completed on JS Kaga(DDH/CVM-184) and work continuing on JS Izumo(DDH/CVM-183).
The regional push for naval aviation capabilities come amid increasing tension between Washington and Beijing amid the latter’s military buildup and ambitions over Taiwan. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers have been deployed to support American allies and partners in numerous exercises and joint maritime patrol exercises in the South China Sea.10
For Beijing, such capability isn’t about prestige alone – it’s about sustained maritime presence, the ability to project power, and reshaping regional naval balances in both the Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region. Furthermore, through its carrier build-up, Beijing is eyeing the freedom to operate far beyond its near seas, underpinning the maritime dimension of its wider Belt and Road Initiative by effectively weaving sea power into its broader geo-economic and geostrategic framework.
On the other hand, air craft carriers include conventional steam turbines and diesel generators, Fujian’s air group comprises at least 40 fixed-wing aircraft like the 5th generation J-35s, and the 4.5 generation upgraded J-15T fighters, the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft and 10-12 assorted helicopters, such as the Z-19/Z-9 and Z-20 variants for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue and utility roles.
Compared to the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers, the vessel’s initial sea trial lasted longer. It took the Shandong six days and the Liaoning five days to finish their maiden trials.
Launched in June 2022, the Fujian is the first aircraft carrier in China to be outfitted with electromagnetic catapults. Chinese experts stated that the Fujian can launch more aircraft because of its larger displacement and electromagnetic catapults, allowing the carrier to launch more effectively.
Using catapult launch systems signifies a significant leap forward in China’s naval capabilities. These systems, more effective than ski jumps, alleviate strain during takeoff, enabling the launch of larger fixed-wing aircraft with heavier payloads and increased fuel capacity.
A noteworthy advancement of Fujian is its ability to accommodate a wide variety of aircraft. It is expected to host upgraded J-15 fighter jets as well as new aircraft, such as the next-generation stealth fighter jet J-35, the fixed-wing early warning aircraft KJ-600, and the JL-10 advanced trainer jet.
On the above note, the PLA hopes to have six carriers overall by 2035, making it the second-largest blue-water navy in the world, behind the United States. Additionally, with Fujian’s induction, the PLA will have three carriers, which essentially means that the service could have at least one carrier in active deployment at all times, even if the other two are conducting training missions or undergoing maintenance at a shipyard.
It’s understood that China's navy, one goal is to dominate the near waters of the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea around the so-called First Island Chain, which runs south through Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. But deeper into the Pacific, it also wants to be able to contest control of the Second Island Chain, where the U.S. has important military facilities on Guam and elsewhere, Poling said.
China’s “increasingly capable military” and ability to “project power globally” is one of the reasons the Pentagon in its latest report to Congress continued to call it “the only competitor to the United States with the intent and, increasingly, the capacity to reshape the international order.
The Fujian is expected to revolutionize China’s maritime capabilities and contribute substantially to Beijing’s strategic goals of defending its interests and establishing its dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
Fujian’s deployment is seen as Beijing furthering its interests and counterbalancing the expansive US maritime influence.
On the other hand, Fujian is the largest operational aircraft carrier in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and is also the first to be equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). The vessel was commissioned at a naval dockyard in Sanya on 5 November, with China's Ministry of National Defence (MND) formally announcing the event on 7 November.
The carrier, which was laid down in 2016 and launched in 2022, has conducted and with the EMALS catapult makes it capable of operating a variety of new naval aircraft, including the Xi'an KJ-600 ‘Sea Plate' airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
In conclusion, China’s carrier surge underscores its dramatic ascent in sea-power projection, while for India, the question is no longer whether it will build another carrier – but whether it can do so swiftly enough to keep pace with its far more formidable rival. China has turned its carrier dream into a doctrine; India’s challenge is to ensure its next carriers don’t remain trapped in mystery, muddle and irrelevance – reducing the Indian Navy to watching events from the shore.11
Notes
1. China commissions Fujian aircraft carrier ( Janes, November 7,2025)
2. China launches new aircraft carrier in naval race with the US ( BBC, November 7, 2025)
3. China’s third aircraft carrier enters service ( Times of India, November 7,2025)
service/articleshow/125150755.cms
4. China’s New Aircraft Carrier Signals Naval Ambitions ( New York Times, November 7,2025 )
5. China’s Aircraft Carrier Capability Just Made A Stunning Leap Forward
6. China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, enters military service ( Alzareea, November 7,2025)
service
7. China commissions third Aircraft Carrier, its most advanced warship equipped with
Electromagnetic Catapults ( Economic Times, November 7,2025)
most-advanced-warship-equipped-with-electromagnetic-
catapults/articleshow/125160720.cms?from=mdr
8. How Advanced Is China’s Third Aircraft Carrier? ( China Power, CSIS)
9. Chinese Navy Takes Aircraft Carrier Fujian Into Active Service In Hainan ( Naval News,
November 7,2025)
active-service-in-hainan/
10. China aims to expand its power in the Pacific with its new Fujian aircraft carrier ( NBC News,
November 7,2025)
rcna242515
11 From Mahan to Corbett: An Inquiry into the Development of Chinese Naval Strategy in the Indian Ocean Region ( Air University, May 8,2024)
(Mr. Balaji Chandramohan is a an expert writer. The views expressed here are that of the author and does not reflect the views of C3S.)
