China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, may soon be on the move, according to new analysis of satellite imagery.
The new warship, which China has designated a Type 003, appeared to move from the quayside of a Shanghai shipyard on November 19, suggesting preparations for its maiden sea trials, according to H.I. Sutton, an open-source naval analyst.
The People's Liberation Army Navy officially launched the Fujian in June last year. The ship—China's largest carrier yet—is awaiting extensive testing at sea before it can be commissioned for active service.
China is undergoing a major shipbuilding program as part of its plans to expand and modernize its armed forces. The Chinese leadership in Beijing intends to challenge the United States' dominance in the region by the end of the decade, and field a "world-class" military by the middle of the century.
The progress on the Fujian was also confirmed in a new report published on Tuesday by the China Power Project, under the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, D.C.
Analysis of satellite photos from October 17 showed that the environmental shelters covering the ship's three catapults had been removed, signaling the completion of primary work on the more advanced system, the CSIS researchers said.
China constructed the Fujian at the Jiangnan Shipyard on Changxing Island, a major Chinese naval and commercial shipbuilding hub in the eastern port city of Shanghai. The country's second domestically built "flat-top" warship features a "catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery," or CATOBAR, aircraft launch system.
A first for a Chinese carrier and similar to the "electromagnetic aircraft launch system," or EMALS, on the U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class ship, the system enables the launch of heavier and larger fixed-wing aircraft, allowing for greater fuel and weapon loads.
The technological advancement is an upgrade over China's existing carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, which utilize ski-jump launch systems. It represents a significant leap forward for Chinese naval aviation.
China's navy is slowly catching up with its world-leading American counterpart, but the U.S. maintains a hard edge with 11 combat-ready carriers in total. However, the progress of Beijing's domestic defense industry has been stunning nonetheless.
"This shows that Chinese engineers are now able to indigenously manufacture the full suite of surface combatants associated with modern naval warfare, including corvettes, frigates, destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and now an aircraft carrier." Ridzwan Rahmat, a Singapore-based analyst with defense intelligence company Janes, told Newsweek last year.
Plans to move the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard, another state-owned venture, to Changxing, adjacent to the Jiangnan yard, will further solidify the Yangtze River island as the central pillar in China's shipbuilding industry, the CSIS update said.
Other PLA Navy vessels under construction at Jiangnan include a latest-generation Yuanwang-class tracking ship.
The vessel's as yet unfinished superstructure is designed to support large antennae, crucial for its future operational role. A component of the midsection superstructure was observed nearby, awaiting installation via a large barge crane, the researchers said.
"Equipped with advanced electronic equipment, sensors and antennae, these ships enable the PLA Strategic Support Force to track satellites as well as rocket and missile launches," their report said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
