Reference News Network, August 5 report. According to the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, on August 3, the latest footage broadcasted by China Central Radio and Television General Station shows that China's third and most advanced aircraft carrier may have successfully completed the test of fighter jet catapult takeoff.

This successful exercise is a key milestone for Fujian, the first aircraft carrier in China equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system.

Official media previously reported that the Fujian might officially enter service by the end of this year. Currently, the U.S. Navy's "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier is the only one in active service equipped with an advanced catapult takeoff system.

Footage of the Fujian's takeoff drill was recently released on the CCTV website.

In the video, control room operators announced: "Parameter check complete, position two allows takeoff."

Then came the final command: "Status good, normal, takeoff!" followed by the roar of the launch, and cheers from the ship's crew and researchers.

Although there were no actual images of catapult takeoffs, the surrounding cheers and congratulations indicated the success of the drill.

A researcher exclaimed excitedly: "Not easy! Not easy! It has been 17 years, the child has grown up!"

His words indicate that the development of China's electromagnetic catapult system can be traced back to around 2008.

The caption of the clip then showed: "Each successful simulation flight test is for the moment of real catapult takeoff."

Although there was no complete continuous footage of a catapult takeoff, multiple J-15T carrier-based fighters specially designed for the electromagnetic catapult system appeared in the video, with one of them in full power at the takeoff point on the flight deck.

At the end of the clip, a shadow of a J-15T taking off was seen on the deck of the Fujian.

A senior commander on board stated that the Fujian is exploring more takeoff methods for carrier-based aircraft, including those that have been successfully deployed on China's other two aircraft carriers.

"After completing the eighth sea trial in May, the Fujian is entering the final stage of commissioning," said Tian Wei, the aviation officer of the Fujian aircraft carrier of the navy.

"Now we are working on whether it can seamlessly transition from ski-jump to catapult takeoff, optimizing and shortening this time as much as possible, so that the new equipment can quickly form combat capability and achieve the goal of being delivered and immediately capable of combat."

Both the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers of China use the ski-jump takeoff system to launch fixed-wing aircraft, especially the J-15 fighter jets.

The Fujian is the first aircraft carrier independently designed and built by China, which began sea trials in May last year. (Translation/ Yang Ke)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534974848678756898/

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