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, Fuzion.

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 as the

00:25U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. So is China's Fuzion ready to challenge the

00:32might of the U.S. Navy? No, no, it's not. The Fuzion marks a major leap for China's

00:41People's Liberation Army Navy, also called the PLAN or simply PLAN. The Fuzion was built in

00:48Shanghai and displaces about 80,000 tons. It's China's largest and most advanced carrier to date.

00:57Unlike China's first two carriers, the Leoneg and Shandong, which relied on ski-jump-style ramps for

01:04takeoffs, the Fuzion employs a catapult-assisted takeoff but arrested recovery, or Kato bar system,

01:13similar to what's used by the U.S. Navy. However, China skipped the steam catapult phase entirely

01:20and jumped straight to the latest tech. The Fuzion has three electromagnetic aircraft launch

01:27systems, or EMOLs. It's the same type of system on America's Ford-class carriers. It's a significant

01:35technological leap because electromagnetic catapults can launch heavier aircraft faster and

01:42with less strain. This means Fuzion can operate larger planes with more fuel and weapons,

01:49giving China's Navy a whole new level of reach and flexibility. But a carrier is only as good as

01:56the aircraft it carries. The Fuzion's future air wing will likely include around 60 to 75 aircraft,

02:04a mix of fighters, early warning planes, and helicopters. So the PLAN will likely fly J-15-10,

02:12or flying sharks from the Fuzion, as well as J-35 stealth fighters that share a lot of

02:20characteristics with the U.S.-made F-35. Electromagnetic launchers also means China can

02:27launch its KJ-600 early warning aircraft from the decks of the Fuzion. With these, the carrier can

02:35detect threats at long range, coordinate air defenses, and launch precision strikes. But there's a catch.

02:42These aircraft are still in testing. The J-35 has not completed carrier qualification,

02:49and the KJ-600 has not yet reached full operational capability. So while the Fuzion has the hardware,

02:57the software, meaning the trained crews, combat-tested doctrine, and integrated systems,

03:04still needs time to mature. Okay, now let's talk straight-up comparisons. The USS Gerald R. Ford is

03:11the world's most advanced carrier. 100,000 tons of nuclear-powered dominance. It has four

03:19electromagnetic catapults, advanced radar systems, and can deploy up to 90 aircraft from F-A-18 Super

03:27Hornets to F-35Cs, Growlers, and Hawkeyes. By contrast, the Fuzion carries three catapults

03:35and runs on conventional fuel, so it can only stay at sea for about 90 to 100 days. The Ford,

03:44on the other hand, can sail for about 25 years without refueling. The Fuzion's entry into service

03:51still changes the game, though, because for the first time, the U.S. Navy is not the only one

03:58operating E-Miles-equipped supercarriers. And that means the technological gap between the U.S.

04:05and what the DoD calls its pacing challenge is closing faster than ever. So what's next?

04:11Chinese military experts say Fuzion still has three key milestones before it reaches full combat

04:18readiness. It needs to integrate with its carrier air wing, build a fully equipped escort fleet,

04:25and crucially, conduct long-range combat training. Once that's done, the plan will have a carrier strike

04:33group capable of extended blue water operations. But the story does not stop there. China's next

04:40carrier is already on the horizon, and experts believe it will be nuclear-powered. That would

04:47remove any endurance limits and push China into true global carrier operations, something only the

04:55United States has achieved. Making the Fuzion more than just a ship, it's a statement. It signals

05:02China's determination to build a world-class navy and challenge U.S. dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

05:08New tools and tech are important, but experience matters too. The U.S. Navy has operated aircraft

05:16carriers for nearly a century. Its 11 nuclear-powered carriers plus amphibious assault ships that can

05:24launch F-35Bs give the U.S. Navy unmatched global reach. China is catching up fast, but the U.S. still

05:33holds the edge in training, logistics, combat experience, and allied coordination. Still,

05:41if Fuzion's success is any indication, that edge may not last forever.

05:45For more reporting like this, download the Straight Arrow News app today.

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