According to Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, the domestically built third aircraft carrier of China has successfully completed its inaugural sea trial.
The official Weibo account of the Chinese military, “China Military,” reported on the 8th that in the afternoon of that day, the Fujian completed its first sea trial mission lasting 8 days and returned safely to the Jiangnan Shipyard. During the trial, the Fujian conducted a series of tests on its power and electrical systems, achieving the expected results. Next, the carrier will proceed with subsequent trial works according to the established plan.
The sea trial of the Fujian began on the 1st of this month, escorted by the East Sea Fleet, and is expected to be commissioned into the Chinese Navy in 2025. Since its launch in June 2022, the construction of the Fujian has been steadily progressing according to plan, successfully completing mooring trials and equipment debugging, and is now technically ready for sea trials.
According to data, the Fujian, with the hull number “18,” is China’s third aircraft carrier. It is the first domestically designed and built catapult-type aircraft carrier, featuring a flat flight deck and equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting gear, with a full load displacement of over 80,000 tons.
According to Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe, the construction and use of aircraft carriers go through several stages: after the completion of construction, the carrier enters the outfitting stage; mooring trials are conducted at the port, testing the operation of various systems such as power and weapon systems under static conditions, with no interference between systems; mooring trials are mainly conducted by the factory; sea trials are mainly completed jointly by naval personnel and factory workers, conducted in real sea conditions, even experiencing high-speed and maneuverable situations such as heavy winds and rain; any issues discovered during sea trials are resolved, and the carrier is formally delivered to the navy for use.