China‘s third aircraft carrier has begun docking trials, local state television reported on Friday. This indicates a smooth progress of the carrier’s construction and tests since its launch in June, analysts said.
Celebrating the upcoming 10th anniversary of the commissioning of the country’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, on Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) announced on Friday that the country’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was conducting docking trials as scheduled.
Over the past few days, Fujian has been undergoing equipment installation and calibration work, with related test missions running concurrently, according to a separate CCTV report on Friday.
With a displacement of more than 80,000 tons and the country’s first aircraft equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arrestors, Fujian was launched in Shanghai on 17 June.
Official reports at the time stated that the carrier would begin docking and sea trials after launch.
The latest developments suggest Fujian’s construction and tests are going smoothly, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Friday, requesting anonymity.
As a general pattern in shipbuilding, mooring trials are carried out when the vessel is moored in port and include testing of on-board equipment and machinery and their compatibility with each other, the expert said.
According to the CCTV report, equipment installations and calibration work or equipment are currently underway, which could reduce the time required for this phase, the expert said, adding that the next phase of the plan is sea trials, which are likely to begin. in the next year or so.
The equipment work includes the installation of equipment such as fuel lines, gas pipelines, electrical equipment and weapons systems, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times in a previous interview.
Since this is China’s first large aircraft carrier equipped with catapults, the equipment may take longer than usual to ensure everything is done correctly, Song said.
In another development, the Liaoning, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary of service, recently conducted exercises in the Bohai Sea and CCTV released footage for the first time showing a fully loaded Liaoning with 24 J-15 fighters, two Z-8 helicopters and a Z-9 helicopter on its flight deck .
This is the highest number of J-15s displayed aboard the Liaoning. Over the past decade, the number has increased from one to five, eight, 13 and now 24, indicating the carrier group’s growing capabilities, observers noted.
It took five years for the Liaoning to stage 1,000 takeoffs and landings for the J-15, and just two and a half years for another 1,000 such operations, the China Youth Daily reported on Thursday.
China now has more carrier-based combat aircraft, as well as more pilots who can fly jets, Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times on Friday.
China is also much more experienced in operating and supporting aircraft on aircraft carriers, Zhang said. It is complex and challenging to operate and support more than 20 fighters rather than just one or two, he said.
In the future, the number of aircraft on board will continue to increase, as well as the types of aircraft on board, which will greatly enhance the systematic and comprehensive combat capabilities of the carrier battle group, Zhang said.
The Liaoning and the country’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, recently held exercises in the Yellow Sea and South China Sea, another CCTV report said.
As China enters its 10th year of carrier operations, all three of its ships are rapidly increasing their capabilities, observers said.
China’s third aircraft carrier has begun docking trials, local state television reported on Friday. This indicates a smooth progress of the carrier’s construction and tests since its launch in June, analysts said.
Celebrating the upcoming 10th anniversary of the commissioning of the country’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, on Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) announced on Friday that the country’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was conducting docking trials as scheduled.
Over the past few days, Fujian has been undergoing equipment installation and calibration work, with related test missions running concurrently, according to a separate CCTV report on Friday.
With a displacement of more than 80,000 tons and the country’s first aircraft equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arrestors, Fujian was launched in Shanghai on 17 June.
Official reports at the time stated that the carrier would begin docking and sea trials after launch.
The latest developments suggest Fujian’s construction and tests are going smoothly, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Friday, requesting anonymity.
As a general pattern in shipbuilding, mooring trials are carried out when the vessel is moored in port and include testing of on-board equipment and machinery and their compatibility with each other, the expert said.
According to the CCTV report, equipment installations and calibration work or equipment are currently underway, which could reduce the time required for this phase, the expert said, adding that the next phase of the plan is sea trials, which are likely to begin. in the next year or so.
The equipment work includes the installation of equipment such as fuel lines, gas pipelines, electrical equipment and weapons systems, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times in a previous interview.
Since this is China’s first large aircraft carrier equipped with catapults, the equipment may take longer than usual to ensure everything is done correctly, Song said.
In another development, the Liaoning, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary of service, recently conducted exercises in the Bohai Sea and CCTV released footage for the first time showing a fully loaded Liaoning with 24 J-15 fighters, two Z-8 helicopters and a Z-9 helicopter on its flight deck .
This is the highest number of J-15s displayed aboard the Liaoning. Over the past decade, the number has increased from one to five, eight, 13 and now 24, indicating the carrier group’s growing capabilities, observers noted.
It took five years for the Liaoning to stage 1,000 takeoffs and landings for the J-15, and just two and a half years for another 1,000 such operations, the China Youth Daily reported on Thursday.
China now has more carrier-based combat aircraft, as well as more pilots who can fly jets, Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times on Friday.
China is also much more experienced in operating and supporting aircraft on aircraft carriers, Zhang said. It is complex and challenging to operate and support more than 20 fighters rather than just one or two, he said.
In the future, the number of aircraft on board will continue to increase, as well as the types of aircraft on board, which will greatly enhance the systematic and comprehensive combat capabilities of the carrier battle group, Zhang said.
The Liaoning and the country’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, recently held exercises in the Yellow Sea and South China Sea, another CCTV report said.
As China enters its 10th year of carrier operations, all three of its ships are rapidly increasing their capabilities, observers said.
China’s third aircraft carrier has begun docking trials, local state television reported on Friday. This indicates a smooth progress of the carrier’s construction and tests since its launch in June, analysts said.
Celebrating the upcoming 10th anniversary of the commissioning of the country’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, on Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) announced on Friday that the country’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was conducting docking trials as scheduled.
Over the past few days, Fujian has been undergoing equipment installation and calibration work, with related test missions running concurrently, according to a separate CCTV report on Friday.
With a displacement of more than 80,000 tons and the country’s first aircraft equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arrestors, Fujian was launched in Shanghai on 17 June.
Official reports at the time stated that the carrier would begin docking and sea trials after launch.
The latest developments suggest Fujian’s construction and tests are going smoothly, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Friday, requesting anonymity.
As a general pattern in shipbuilding, mooring trials are carried out when the vessel is moored in port and include testing of on-board equipment and machinery and their compatibility with each other, the expert said.
According to the CCTV report, equipment installations and calibration work or equipment are currently underway, which could reduce the time required for this phase, the expert said, adding that the next phase of the plan is sea trials, which are likely to begin. in the next year or so.
The equipment work includes the installation of equipment such as fuel lines, gas pipelines, electrical equipment and weapons systems, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times in a previous interview.
Since this is China’s first large aircraft carrier equipped with catapults, the equipment may take longer than usual to ensure everything is done correctly, Song said.
In another development, the Liaoning, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary of service, recently conducted exercises in the Bohai Sea and CCTV released footage for the first time showing a fully loaded Liaoning with 24 J-15 fighters, two Z-8 helicopters and a Z-9 helicopter on its flight deck .
This is the highest number of J-15s displayed aboard the Liaoning. Over the past decade, the number has increased from one to five, eight, 13 and now 24, indicating the carrier group’s growing capabilities, observers noted.
It took five years for the Liaoning to stage 1,000 takeoffs and landings for the J-15, and just two and a half years for another 1,000 such operations, the China Youth Daily reported on Thursday.
China now has more carrier-based combat aircraft, as well as more pilots who can fly jets, Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times on Friday.
China is also much more experienced in operating and supporting aircraft on aircraft carriers, Zhang said. It is complex and challenging to operate and support more than 20 fighters rather than just one or two, he said.
In the future, the number of aircraft on board will continue to increase, as well as the types of aircraft on board, which will greatly enhance the systematic and comprehensive combat capabilities of the carrier battle group, Zhang said.
The Liaoning and the country’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, recently held exercises in the Yellow Sea and South China Sea, another CCTV report said.
As China enters its 10th year of carrier operations, all three of its ships are rapidly increasing their capabilities, observers said.