Xi Jinping attends launch of China’s new advanced aircraft carrier
China has officially launched its latest aircraft carrier, featuring an advanced launch system that enables fighter planes to take off with heavier payloads—a technology previously exclusive to the U.S. Navy.
A commissioning ceremony for the Fujian this week at the People's Liberation Army naval base on Hainan Island, 400 miles southwest of Hong Kong, was attended by President Xi Jinping, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The requirement for the Electro Magnetic Launch System, which catapults aircraft off the launch deck at a much higher speed than they would be able to achieve under their own power, was personally ordered by Xi.
EMALS, which replaces inefficient and costly steam powered catapults in use since the 1950s, can accelerate a 100,000 pound aircraft to 150 mph in less than three seconds.
The higher airspeed delivered by EMALS provides more lift, enabling aircraft to carry heavier bombs and missiles and more fuel, allowing them to fly longer-range missions.
The Fujian enters China's fleet just over three years after the USS Gerald R. Ford was certified for launch deck operations in 2022, although its first successful use of the system was in July 2017 immediately after the nuclear powered carrier was commissioned by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term.
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