China Wants 6 Aircraft Carriers to Take on the U.S. Navy

Summary and Key Points: China's Type 003 Fujian, the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) most advanced aircraft carrier, successfully completed its third and longest sea trial, returning to port after 25 days in the Yellow Sea.

-The Fujian, equipped with electromagnetic catapults similar to those on the U.S. Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford, is the second domestically-built Chinese carrier and the largest after U.S. supercarriers.

-The trials indicate smooth progress, with the carrier expected to enter service in 2024. China aims to have six carriers by the mid-2030s, signaling a significant enhancement of its naval capabilities.

China's Third Aircraft Carrier Completes Third Sea Trial

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) completed the third sea trials of its Type 003 Fujian, its second domestically-built aircraft carrier – and the first to be equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults that are employed to launch aircraft. The carrier returned to the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai on Sunday after spending 25 days in the Yellow Sea.

The carrier's return to port was anticipated after a traffic restriction notice was issued by Shanghai's maritime safety administration on Saturday that warned a large ship was scheduled to enter the Yangtze River.

A video of the Fujian returning to port escorted by tug boats was shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The recently completed sea trials marks the longest period the carrier has been out of port since being launched in 2022, and further serve to highlight that the PLAN's warship is slowly but surely completing its trials while is on track to enter service sometime next year. The Type 003 Fujian had previously conducted its eight-day first sea trial that began on May 1 and lasted until May 8. It was followed by a 20-day second sea trial beginning on May 23 and concluding on June 11, according to a report from the Chinese state media outlet The Global Times.

The Beijing-based news outlet cited Chinese military analyst Fu Qianshao, who said the completion of the three sea trials indicates the testing phase of the aircraft carrier is "going very smoothly." Each sea trial also includes additional tests, beginning with basic systems including the propulsion systems and the carrier's electrical systems. That has likely been expanded to the more complicated shipborne equipment, which likely includes the electromagnetic catapults.

The Type 003 Fujian is the first warship after the United States Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) to be equipped with the advanced launch system. While CVN-78 is nuclear-powered, the Fujian is still a conventionally-powered carrier – yet, it is still the 80,000-ton Chinese warship is still the largest aircraft carrier in service today after only the U.S. Navy's 10 Nimitz-class and sole Ford-class supercarriers.

China Wants 6 Aircraft Carriers to Take on U.S. Navy

The Type 003 Fujian, named after East China's Fujian Province, is expected to operate not only improved versions of the J-15 fighter jet, but also new aircraft including the next-generation stealth fighter J-35, as well as the fixed-wing early warning aircraft KJ-600, and the JL-10 advanced trainer jet. Launched in June 2022, the Type 003 Fujian completed its mooring trials, outfitting work, and equipment tests earlier this year in preparation for its sea trials.

In just over a decade, the People's Republic of China has made a great leap forward in aircraft carrier development. The PLAN's first aircraft carrier, the Type 001 Liaoning, a refurbished Soviet carrier, was commissioned in 2012. The second carrier, the Type 002 Shandong, was launched in 2017.

The PLAN has a goal of having six carriers in service by the mid-2030s, and Beijing is expected to soon reveal plans for its fourth aircraft carrier. Speculation abounds that the next carrier could be nuclear-powered, indicating that China will continue to improve its naval capabilities.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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