China’s Fujian carrier enters service, new era in naval power begins

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00:00The world's oceans just got a little more crowded and more competitive.

00:05In early November, China officially commissioned its most advanced aircraft carrier yet, Fujian.

00:11It's sleek, it's powerful, and it's making waves as the first non-U.S. carrier to use

00:18electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft from its deck, putting it in the same category

00:24as the U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.

00:27So, is China's Fujian ready to challenge the might of the U.S. Navy?

00:33No.

00:34No, it's not.

00:38The Fujian marks a major leap for China's People's Liberation Army Navy, also called the PLAN or

00:45simply PLAN.

00:47The Fujian was built in Shanghai and displaces about 80,000 tons.

00:52It's China's largest and most advanced carrier to date.

00:56Unlike China's first two carriers, the Leoneg and Shandong, which relied on ski-jump-style

01:04ramps for takeoffs, the Fujian employs a catapult-assisted takeoff-but-arrested-recovery, or Cato-bar

01:12system, similar to what's used by the U.S. Navy.

01:16However, China skipped the steam catapult phase entirely and jumped straight to the latest

01:22tech.

01:23The Fujian has three Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems, or EMOLs.

01:29It's the same type of system on America's Ford-class carriers.

01:33It's a significant technological leap, because electromagnetic catapults can launch heavier

01:40aircraft faster and with less strain.

01:43This means Fujian can operate larger planes with more fuel and weapons, giving China's

01:50Navy a whole new level of reach and flexibility.

01:54But a carrier is only as good as the aircraft it carries.

01:58The Fujian's future air wing will likely include around 60 to 75 aircraft.

02:04A mix of fighters, early warning planes, and helicopters.

02:09So, the plan will likely fly J-15Ts, or flying sharks, from the Fujian, as well as J-35 stealth

02:17fighters that share a lot of characteristics with the U.S.-made F-35.

02:23Electromagnetic launchers also means China can launch its KJ-600 early warning aircraft from

02:31the decks of the Fujian.

02:32With these, the carrier can detect threats at long range, coordinate air defenses, and launch

02:39precision strikes.

02:40But there's a catch.

02:42These aircraft are still in testing.

02:45The J-35 has not completed carrier qualification, and the KJ-600 has not yet reached full operational

02:53capability.

02:55So, while the Fujian has the hardware, the software, meaning the trained crews, combat-tested

03:01doctrine, and integrated systems, still needs time to mature.

03:06Okay, now let's talk straight-up comparisons.

03:09The USS Gerald R. Ford is the world's most advanced carrier.

03:13100,000 tons of nuclear-powered dominance.

03:18It has four electromagnetic catapults, advanced radar systems, and can deploy up to 90 aircraft,

03:26from F-A-18 Super Hornets to F-35Cs, Growlers, and Hawkeyes.

03:32By contrast, the Fujian carries three catapults and runs on conventional fuel, so it can only

03:39stay at sea for about 90 to 100 days.

03:43The Ford, on the other hand, can sail for about 25 years without refueling.

03:50The Fuzon's entry into service still changes the game, though, because, for the first time,

03:55the U.S. Navy is not the only one operating E-Miles-equipped supercarriers.

04:00And that means the technological gap between the U.S. and what the DoD calls its pacing challenge

04:07is closing faster than ever.

04:10So what's next?

04:12Chinese military experts say Fujian still has three key milestones before it reaches full

04:18combat readiness.

04:19It needs to integrate with its carrier air wing, build a fully-equipped escort fleet, and,

04:25crucially, conduct long-range combat training.

04:30Once that's done, the plan will have a carrier strike group capable of extended blue water

04:36operations.

04:38But the story does not stop there.

04:40China's next carrier is already on the horizon, and experts believe it will be nuclear-powered.

04:46That would remove any endurance limits and push China into true global carrier operations,

04:54something only the United States has achieved, making the Fuzon more than just a ship.

05:00It's a statement.

05:01It signals China's determination to build a world-class navy and challenge U.S. dominance

05:07in the Indo-Pacific.

05:09New tools and tech are important, but experience matters, too.

05:13The U.S. Navy has operated aircraft carriers for nearly a century.

05:18Its 11 nuclear-powered carriers, plus amphibious assault ships that can launch F-35Bs, give the

05:26U.S. Navy unmatched global reach.

05:29China is catching up fast, but the U.S. still holds the edge in training, logistics, combat experience,

05:37and allied coordination.

05:39Still, if Fuzon's success is any indication, that edge may not last forever.

05:46For more reporting like this, download the Straight Arrow News app today.

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