China’s newest carrier is for regional domination, not contesting the US Navy, experts say
By ALEX WILSON
STARS AND STRIPES • June 23, 2022
China’s newest aircraft carrier boasts some advanced technology and presents a growing challenge to the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific allies, but it falls short of matching U.S. carrier prowess, experts told Stars and Stripes.
The Fujian, a Type 003 carrier launched Friday in Shanghai, features a variety of improvements over China’s first two carriers. Most significantly it features an electromagnetic catapult system for launching aircraft that’s similar to one on the U.S. Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford.
The transition from “ski-jump” launches off a deck ramp on the first Chinese carriers to an electromagnetic catapult represent a “symbolic and technological leapfrog” for Chinese naval forces, according to Brian Hart, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ China Power Project. He said the catapult allows Beijing to field heavier and larger fixed-wing aircraft.
https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2022-06-23/fujian-china-navy-aircraft-carrier-6431115.html
