China launches third aircraft carrier in major military milestone

China recently launched its third aircraft carrier, the country’s most advanced.

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012, followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier Shandong in 2019.
- China plans to have around five aircraft carriers.
The aircraft carrier named Fujian was launched at a brief ceremony held at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard.
The Fujian is China’s first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier.
- The launch was delayed by two months due to the COVID lockdown of Shanghai.
The third aircraft carrier built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited has a displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes and is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices.
The Fujian, which is the “first fully domestically developed and constructed” aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), has a flat, straight flight deck and arresting device.
- It has a full displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes, as much as 20,000 tonnes more than the other two aircraft carriers.
- Fujian is the name of China’s eastern coastal province of Fujian.