Fujian aircraft carrier has reached its one-year anniversary of the first sea trial. The latest photos taken unintentionally by netizens aboard a commercial flight show that the deck of Fujian aircraft carrier has appeared with parking lines marking the positions for carrier-based aircraft, is this a key signal for service?

The first large electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier of China, Fujian aircraft carrier, began its first sea trial mission on Labor Day last year. Now, as Fujian aircraft carrier once again welcomes the Labor Day in 2025, the spirit it presents to the outside world has undergone tremendous changes compared to one year ago.

[First sea trial photo of Fujian aircraft carrier]

In the past year, Fujian aircraft carrier has completed a total of 7 sea trials.

The most recent one was just a month ago, and outsiders speculate that this sea trial aimed at conducting catapult takeoff and arrested landing tests of carrier-based aircraft. After the test, Fujian aircraft carrier will enter the countdown stage before service.

The Ministry of National Defense did not give a clear response to this speculation, and currently there is no solid information to prove that Fujian aircraft carrier has conducted carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing tests.

Even though some sharp-eyed netizens found that after Fujian aircraft carrier returned from its last two sea trials, the landing area on the deck had dense tire marks, but this can only prove that the subject of touch-and-go flight was carried out. Whether there was actually a landing on the deck of Fujian aircraft carrier, or whether the catapult launched carrier-based aircraft at sea, remains unknown.

This makes the status of Fujian aircraft carrier like "Schrodinger's cat". Some people guess that it can be commissioned soon, while others think it still needs several more sea trials before delivery.

[The cross-shaped lines are the parking lines]

From the latest exposed photos, Fujian aircraft carrier is getting closer to commissioning because the parking position marking lines are being drawn on the deck.

Parking position marking lines, as the name suggests, are reference lines for the positions where carrier-based aircraft should be parked on the deck. Although an aircraft carrier is called a "sea airport", compared with a real land-based airport, it is still a small-scale one. Even the smallest land-based airport has more dispatching space than an aircraft carrier.

In order to park as many carrier-based aircraft as possible on the limited deck space without interfering with the main deck operations, it is necessary to clearly mark the positions where each carrier-based aircraft should be parked so that ground crew can match them accordingly.

Avoid random parking of carrier-based aircraft affecting deck scheduling, especially not interfering with carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing operations.

Don't underestimate these few lines used to mark positions; there are also rules about when to paint them. During the early sea trials of Fujian aircraft carrier, there were only a few models of carrier-based aircraft on the deck, and compared with the width of the deck area, it was unnecessary to paint the parking lines at that time.

[Few carrier-based aircraft models carried during sea trials of Fujian aircraft carrier]

Looking back at the technical state of Fujian aircraft carrier during its 7 sea trials, we can easily find that the number of carrier-based aircraft models carried on each outing could be counted on one hand. Therefore, in the past year, Fujian aircraft carrier did not draw parking position lines on the deck.

In other words, when Fujian aircraft carrier needs to draw lines, especially parking position lines, it means that preparations are being made for the deployment of a large number of carrier-based aircraft or models.

Being able to deploy multiple carrier-based aircraft indicates that Fujian aircraft carrier has completed the vast majority of its navigation tests, and the main focus of sea trials now is on carrier-based aircraft. Moreover, the number of carrier-based aircraft participating in the tests is not small. Considering safety issues in scheduling, parking position reference lines must be painted.

Recalling the sea trial experience of Liaoning aircraft carrier and Shandong aircraft carrier, carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing tests obviously belong to such projects. It is reasonable to speculate that the possibility of Fujian aircraft carrier completing carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing tests is very high.

[Photo of Liaoning aircraft carrier organizing carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing tests]

From another perspective, Fujian aircraft carrier beginning preparations to carry more carrier-based aircraft indicates that this aircraft carrier has already acquired the capability to ensure a certain number of fully loaded carrier-based aircraft.

These signs all prove that Fujian aircraft carrier is only a step away from official commissioning.

Even if Fujian aircraft carrier has an eighth or even ninth sea trial ahead, one thing can now be confirmed, and that is that Fujian aircraft carrier will be commissioned this year.

Given the milestone significance of such an aircraft carrier, the timing of Fujian aircraft carrier's commissioning must be chosen carefully, such as September 3rd, the Anti-Japanese War Victory Memorial Day, or October 1st, the National Day, would both be good choices.

[Back from sea trials, Fujian aircraft carrier]

After all, Fujian aircraft carrier has completed 7 sea trials. Even though Fujian aircraft carrier is China's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier and has more testing items than Liaoning aircraft carrier and Shandong aircraft carrier, the increase won't be too much.

Considering the first sea trial efficiency of Fujian aircraft carrier in the world, the interval between two sea trials is around one and a half months. Even if there are 3 more sea trials, at most four and a half months, it can still be done before the National Day.

If we calculate optimistically, China's navy may enter the three-carrier era in the first half of 2025, which is not impossible.

For the U.S. Navy, Fujian aircraft carrier is a huge stimulus, not only because it is the largest and strongest aircraft carrier outside the United States, nor because it has a better electromagnetic catapult than the U.S., but because this 80,000-ton aircraft carrier was built too quickly.

The U.S. Navy's Kennedy aircraft carrier, since its launch in 2019, has been equipped for more than five years at Newport News Shipbuilding. If calculated from the announcement of its construction on July 20, 2015, it will only take another two and a half months for it to reach the 10th anniversary of its start.

[Current status of Kennedy aircraft carrier]

It is worth noting that the previous aircraft carrier with a construction period exceeding 10 years was India's self-proclaimed self-designed and self-built Vikrant, which took a total of 13 years. Now, Kennedy aircraft carrier seems to be aiming for this record.

On one side, the delivery node of Kennedy aircraft carrier is at least delayed until next year, and on the other side, Fujian aircraft carrier is about to be commissioned. The U.S. Navy can't help but feel troubled. Moreover, even if Kennedy aircraft carrier is commissioned, it still needs several years of sea trials before it has combat capability.

It can be foreseen that with the commissioning of Fujian aircraft carrier and the delay of Kennedy aircraft carrier, the gap between China and the United States in the field of aircraft carriers will rapidly narrow.

Fujian aircraft carrier is just the beginning. If the next generation of domestically produced aircraft carriers are constructed simultaneously in the south and north, the U.S. Navy might not sleep well.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499293568205455912/

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