Explained | China’s new high-tech aircraft carrier Fujian and its advanced catapult system

China has launched its most modern aircraft carrier. Christened the Fujian, the carrier is equipped with an advanced electromagnetic aircraft launch system. It is, however, not clear when it will enter service.

The story so far: On June 17, China unveiled its first indigenous aircraft carrier , the new-generation Fujian. Touted to be the most-advanced aircraft carrier so far, it marks a milestone for a nation that is looking to extend its military power, especially in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

The Fujian has been named after China’s eastern coastal province which lies across from Taiwan. It was launched near Shanghai amid heightened tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan. With the launch of the Fujian, China now has the most number of aircraft carriers after the U.S. The Fujian joins two other carriers currently operated by China — Shandong (Type 001), commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning (Type 002), bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998.

Fujian was completely designed and built domestically, as per Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Under construction since 2018, it was scheduled to be launched on April 23 around the 73rd anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy or PLAN, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai. The Fujian finally left its drydock after a festive ceremony attended by senior military officials on June 17. It has been built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited.

The Fujian’s displacement is 80,000 tonnes, much more than the existing Chinese carriers, and comparable to U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

The Type 003 carrier is also significantly more technologically advanced than its predecessors Shandong and Liaoning. The Fujian has been fitted with the latest launch technology — the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), first developed by the U.S. Navy. It also has a straight flat-top flight deck for take-offs and landings; The two existing vessels use a ski jump-style ramp.

What is EMALS: An aircraft onboard a carrier needs extra help to get airborne since the length of the runway on deck is insufficient to achieve the speed needed for takeoff. One of the ways to provide this extra push is by the use of catapults. Catapult Assisted Take-off But Arrested Recovery or (CATOBAR) is one such system. In this, an aircraft takes off from a completely flat deck with the help of catapults. Once the catapult is released, the aircraft attached to the catapult moves forward with great speed in a short time, which helps it to gain the speed required to take off before it reaches the end of the runway. 

There are two types of catapult systems — steam-powered, and electromagnetic ones called EMALS. While the former uses steam pressure to fire catapults, EMALS uses linear induction motors. The electromagnetic force generated is used to launch the aircraft.