China Commissions Advanced Fujian Aircraft Carrier Shifting Naval Balance

China’s Fujian Carrier Enters Service, Shifting Naval Balance

In a move signaling a significant leap in its naval capabilities, China has officially commissioned its third and most advanced Military-Aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The ceremony, held on November 5, 2025, at the Sanya Naval Base in Hainan province, was attended by President Xi Jinping, underscoring the immense strategic importance of this new asset to the nation’s military modernization goals. The Fujian’s entry into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is more than just an addition of another vessel; it represents a technological and strategic evolution, fundamentally altering the maritime power dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.

The commissioning of the Fujian (hull number 18) marks a pivotal moment for the PLAN. It transitions from its previous carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, which were based on Soviet-era ski-jump designs, to a modern flat-top deck equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system. This technology places China in an exclusive club, as the United States is the only other nation to operate carriers with this capability. The development and deployment of such a system highlight China’s rapidly advancing military-industrial complex and its ambition to build a blue-water navy capable of projecting power far beyond its coastal waters.

The strategic context of the Fujian’s commissioning is impossible to ignore. Assigned to the Southern Theatre Command, its operational focus is expected to be the contested waters of the South China Sea. Furthermore, its name, taken from the province directly opposite Taiwan, carries significant symbolic weight amidst ongoing cross-strait tensions. As the Fujian becomes fully operational, it will enhance the PLAN’s ability to conduct sustained and more complex naval operations, challenging the long-standing maritime dominance of the United States and its allies in the region.

A Technological Leap Forward: The Electromagnetic Catapult

The defining feature of the Fujian is its electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). This represents a generational jump from the ski-jump ramps used on the Liaoning and Shandong. The ski-jump method is limited by physics, restricting the maximum take-off weight of aircraft, which in turn limits their fuel and munitions load. This effectively curtails their operational range and combat effectiveness. The Fujian, by contrast, can launch a wider variety of heavier and more capable aircraft, a game-changer for China’s naval aviation.

The EMALS technology, similar to that on the U.S. Navy’s latest Ford-class carriers, offers numerous advantages. It provides more precise control over launch speed, puts less stress on the airframes, and allows for a higher sortie generation rate. Crucially, it enables the Fujian to launch not just fighter jets, but also heavier support aircraft. During its sea trials, the carrier successfully tested the launch of the KJ-600, an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. This capability is vital, as it gives the carrier battle group its own “eyes in the sky,” extending its situational awareness and operational range far beyond the reach of land-based radar.

The expected air wing for the Fujian includes a new generation of carrier-based aircraft. Alongside the KJ-600, it is expected to operate the J-35 stealth fighter and an advanced variant of the J-15 fighter, the J-15T. The successful launch tests of these aircraft, documented in footage released by Chinese state media in September 2025, confirmed that the carrier had achieved a significant level of operational capability even before its official commissioning. This combination of a modern carrier and a potent air wing dramatically increases the PLAN’s power projection capabilities.

In 2019, analyst Robert Farley from the U.S. Army War College predicted that the Fujian would be the “largest and most advanced aircraft carrier ever built outside the United States”.

Strategic Implications and Regional Response

The induction of the Fujian into the PLAN is a clear statement of China’s strategic ambitions. With three operational aircraft carriers, the navy can now maintain a more persistent presence in key maritime areas, such as the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The assignment to the Southern Theatre Command reinforces its focus on the South China Sea, where Beijing has extensive territorial claims. The carrier’s advanced capabilities will allow China to more assertively enforce these claims and project influence throughout the region.

The naming of the carrier after Fujian province is widely seen as a deliberate message directed at Taiwan. It serves as a constant reminder of Beijing’s long-standing goal of unification and its growing military capability to achieve it. The carrier’s ability to operate east of Taiwan, in the Philippine Sea, could be a critical factor in any potential conflict, allowing the PLAN to blockade the island and deter or delay intervention from the United States.

While the Fujian represents a significant step forward, it is important to maintain perspective. The U.S. Navy still holds a substantial quantitative and qualitative advantage, operating eleven nuclear-powered supercarriers. China’s carriers are conventionally powered, limiting their range and endurance compared to their American counterparts. Moreover, the PLAN is still developing the complex doctrines and institutional experience required to effectively operate carrier strike groups in high-intensity combat. Nevertheless, the pace of China’s naval expansion is undeniable, and the Fujian is a clear indicator that the technological and capability gap is closing.

Conclusion: A New Era in Naval Power

The commissioning of the aircraft carrier Fujian is a landmark event in China’s military modernization. It is the culmination of years of investment, research, and industrial effort, resulting in a warship that significantly enhances the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s capabilities. The vessel’s electromagnetic catapult system and its ability to operate a new generation of advanced aircraft mark a clear departure from its predecessors and signal China’s arrival as a top-tier naval power.

Looking ahead, the Fujian will serve as a potent symbol of China’s growing global influence and a key instrument for advancing its maritime interests. Its deployment will be closely watched by regional and global powers, as it reshapes the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific. While the U.S. Navy currently maintains a lead, the rapid pace of China’s naval shipbuilding and technological advancement suggests that the maritime competition will only intensify in the coming years. The Fujian is not just a ship; it is a harbinger of a new era in naval warfare and global power dynamics.

FAQ

Question: What is the significance of the Fujian aircraft carrier?
Answer: The Fujian is China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier. Its significance lies in its modern design, featuring a flat-top deck and an electromagnetic catapult system (EMALS), a technology previously only used by the U.S. Navy. This allows it to launch heavier and more diverse aircraft, significantly boosting the Chinese Navy’s power projection capabilities.

Question: How does the Fujian compare to China’s other aircraft carriers?
Answer: Unlike the Liaoning and Shandong, which use a Soviet-era ski-jump ramp for take-offs, the Fujian’s electromagnetic catapults allow for the launch of aircraft with larger payloads and more fuel. This enables it to operate aircraft like the KJ-600 early warning plane, giving it a significant advantage in operational range and combat effectiveness.

Question: What are the strategic implications of the Fujian’s commissioning?
Answer: The Fujian enhances China’s ability to project power in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea. Its name, after the province opposite Taiwan, is also seen as a symbolic message. The carrier helps close the technological gap with the U.S. Navy and strengthens China’s position in regional maritime disputes.

Sources

• usnews.com