It's so exciting! China's first aircraft carrier, Fujian, which adopts electromagnetic catapult technology, held an induction and flag-raising ceremony in a military port in Sanya, Hainan. This important moment not only represents that China's aircraft carrier development has entered a new stage of electromagnetic catapult technology, but also shows that a more complete domestic aircraft carrier combat system has officially made its debut on the world stage.

Some people might be curious: Fujian uses non-nuclear power, can it be considered top-tier? The answer is: the combat effectiveness of an aircraft carrier depends on the comparison of the entire combat system. Fujian has delivered a "combination punch," fully demonstrating China's technological breakthroughs and strategic wisdom, and is now very close to the world's top level. Why do I say this?

First, look at electromagnetic catapult: China's breakthrough in the U.S.-China rivalry, a leap forward by taking a shortcut.

The electromagnetic catapult is like the "key lifeline" of a modern aircraft carrier. Only China and the United States have truly used it in real combat. The U.S. developed the Ford-class aircraft carriers for over 30 years, but even now, they are still plagued by issues with reliability. However, the electromagnetic catapult system on our Fujian aircraft carrier has taken a unique path with Chinese characteristics.

Under the efforts of Academician Ma Weiming's team, we have established a medium-voltage direct current technology system, successfully solved key technical challenges such as inertial energy storage, and innovatively combined conventional power with electromagnetic catapult, which has advantages in energy conversion efficiency.

By 2025, the J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 aircraft have all successfully completed catapult takeoff training. Their excellent performance has strongly proven that our system is highly reliable.

It should be noted that the Ford-class aircraft carriers took a long time after their commissioning to gradually achieve similar goals. Moreover, even now, the F-35 carrier aircraft have not performed takeoff and landing operations on the Fujian.

The deterrence power of an aircraft carrier ultimately relies on its carrier-based aircraft. The family of carrier-based aircraft accompanying the Fujian has real technical highlights:

J-35 stealth fighter: As China's first carrier-based stealth fighter, its appearance has put China into the club of carrier-based stealth fighters. Although there are no official data directly comparing it with the F-35, from basic indicators such as stealth design and avionics systems, it is sufficient to form an equal balancing capability.

This is a modest statement, but the reality is that the J-35's stealth performance is far superior to the F-35. If you don't believe me, just compare their bellies, which show a gap-like difference.

J-15T catapult-type aircraft: This upgraded "old veteran" aircraft has fully demonstrated its performance with the help of electromagnetic catapult. It has obvious advantages in payload and range. Even relying solely on its own fuel, it can still have a 1,500 km operational radius when carrying missiles. While the F/A-18E/F has an operational radius of only 800 km when carrying 8 tons of payload.

KJ-600 early warning aircraft: This "observer" (referring to the early warning aircraft) on the aircraft carrier has made significant breakthroughs in radar technology. It uses a nitrogen gallium technology AESA dual-band radar, which can detect targets over 600 kilometers away, especially showing outstanding detection capabilities against stealth targets.

In contrast, the U.S. E-2D early warning aircraft still relies on mechanical rotation to assist in scanning, and its radar performance has been surpassed by our KJ-600.

An aircraft carrier does not fight alone. The "bodyguard squad" and firepower configuration of the Fujian are equally impressive:

The Type 055 destroyer, as the core of escort, has become one of the top destroyers in the world due to its advanced phased array radar and vertical launch system. Compared with some of the U.S. "Aegis ships" that have been in service for many years, the Type 055 demonstrates the advantage of being a later entrant in terms of hull design, stealth performance, and firepower density.

In terms of firepower strike, the YJ series hypersonic anti-ship missiles are a card. Compared with the U.S. mainstream subsonic anti-ship missiles, the hypersonic speed brings a clear advantage in penetration capability, giving the aircraft carrier group more confidence in long-range strikes.

We must objectively admit that the Fujian is not perfect. Compared with nuclear-powered carriers, conventional power still has a gap in endurance. The training and coordination of the carrier-based aircraft unit also need time. However, it cannot be denied that the commissioning of the Fujian marks the formation of China's aircraft carrier combat system, and the technology in each link has reached the world's advanced level.

For maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the significance of the Fujian lies in: allowing the Chinese Navy to have a stronger strategic deterrent capability in the Western Pacific, enabling a larger strategic defensive depth in the eastern part of Taiwan when completing the unification cause, and providing solid support for dealing with external interference. However, China has always adhered to a defensive policy in developing its defense forces. The continuous progress of the aircraft carrier system is fundamentally aimed at maintaining peace.

The formal commissioning of the Fujian is not the end, but a brand-new beginning. With subsequent deeper training and coordination, this aircraft carrier combat system will become increasingly mature, and it will definitely become a pillar for protecting our country's maritime borders.

With the decline of the U.S. aircraft carriers, the control of the sea in the Western Pacific should change, which is the confidence brought by the Fujian.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569923497711944198/

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