China has formally commissioned its first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult launch system, the Fujian, during a ceremony held at a naval base in Sanya, Hainan.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, State President, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping presided over the commissioning and presented the unit flag to the ship’s commanding officers before boarding the carrier for an inspection tour.
The ceremony, reported by PLA Daily, took place in the afternoon with more than 2,000 representatives from the Navy and shipbuilding units standing in formation along the pier. During the event, the national flag was raised and the military flag was formally handed to the Fujian’s captain and political commissar. The commissioning concluded to the cadence of the People’s Liberation Army service song.
According to the report, Xi then boarded the Fujian to receive a briefing on China’s carrier program and the development of its carrier-based air wing. He was shown the ship’s flight deck layout, which features four arresting wires and three electromagnetic catapult launch stations. New-generation carrier aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, and KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft, were positioned on deck.
While on the flight deck, Xi spoke with carrier aviators and support personnel, asking detailed questions about aircraft performance and electromagnetic launch characteristics. The president observed a demonstration of the catapult launch sequence and viewed the launch-control procedures. “He encouraged personnel to continue improving operational skills and combat readiness,” the report said.
Xi later toured the ship’s island, reviewing flight operations command positions, and then entered the bridge to observe watchstanding arrangements. He signed the ship’s navigation log and visited the electromagnetic catapult control station, where he personally pressed the launch control button for a test cycle of the catapult’s linear induction system, described as sending the catapult shuttle “forward like an arrow” along the flight deck.
The Fujian’s internal accommodations, including dining facilities and berthing compartments, were also included in the tour. Xi spoke with sailors and urged commanders to ensure strong support systems so that personnel “can better devote themselves to training and combat preparation,” according to the release. As Xi departed the ship, the Fujian’s crew formed ranks along the pier and on the flight deck, saluting and chanting pledges of readiness and loyalty.
The Fujian, hull number 18, is China’s third aircraft carrier and its first to feature a flat-deck configuration with electromagnetic catapults. The carrier was launched and named in June 2022 and was designed and built domestically. The outlet stated that the electromagnetic launch system represents a major step in China’s carrier aviation development and positions the Fujian to support heavier aircraft and more frequent sortie generation compared to earlier Chinese carriers.
Officials from central government agencies, the Central Military Commission, the Southern Theater Command, the Navy, Hainan Province, and shipbuilding organizations attended the commissioning ceremony.
China now possesses three aircraft carriers in varying stages of readiness, and the Fujian’s entry begins the next phase of its carrier aviation training cycle.
