TSAMTO, December 4th. The third aircraft carrier of national construction, Fujian, is undergoing mooring tests, and its construction program is being implemented in accordance with the plan, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on November 30.
This statement was made at a regular press conference by the representative of the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, in response to a question from the Global Times. The information was announced against the background of rumors spread by foreign media that an electromagnetic catapult was recently tested on board the Fujian as part of the ship's preparation for the first sea launch.
As Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times, the purpose of the mooring tests is to verify the reliability of the hull structure, power plant, mechanical equipment, electrical systems and other devices, as well as to make the necessary changes to ensure the readiness of the aircraft carrier for sea trials. After their successful completion, the ship will go to sea for sea trials.
The American edition of News Week, referring to a video recorded from an airplane flying over a shipbuilding enterprise in Shanghai, reported on November 27 that an ejection system for launching aircraft was being tested on board the Fujian. The video shows the launch and subsequent fall into the water of a test vehicle from one of the Fujian ejection launchers. The article says that the tests are one of the important stages in the construction of an aircraft carrier.
Fu Qianshao, another Chinese military expert, told the Global Times that Fujian is the first Chinese aircraft carrier to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults and aerial finishers. According to him, this is a new and complex technology that requires testing during mooring tests before the start of sea trials. According to the expert, the launch of the test vehicles will allow to study the parameters of the catapults, including power and acceleration. The test results will be used to prepare for the take-off and landing tests of aircraft during future sea trials.
The News Week report, based on the analysis of satellite images, also suggests that the first sea trials of the Fujian will begin in the near future. Chinese military expert Song Zhongping agrees with these conclusions. On November 21, the U.S.–based analytical Center for Strategic and International Studies (Center for Strategic & International Studies - CSIS) announced the deployment of a tanker tanker near Fujian. According to the expert, this indicates that "the sea trials of the aircraft carrier are just around the corner."
Experts said that sea trials, as a rule, are aimed at a comprehensive check at sea of the main subsystems of the ship, including the main power plant, radar, communications, weapons, aircraft and ejection systems.
Usually, sea trials of aircraft carriers take about a year, but since Fujian is equipped with many new high-tech systems, it cannot be ruled out that its tests may be longer than those of the first Chinese-designed aircraft carrier Shandong.
As reported by TSAMTO, the construction of the third aircraft carrier for the PLA Navy began at the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard Group in Shanghai in 2017. The ship was launched in June 2022. It is assumed that the total length of the aircraft carrier will be about 316 m, the maximum width is 76 m, and the total displacement is more than 80,000 tons. It is expected that the ship will be equipped with J-15T deck fighters, whose takeoff will be provided by electromagnetic catapults.
If the pace of project implementation continues, the ship will be put into service in 2025.