Reference News Network, November 9 report: According to the website of Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao", China's third aircraft carrier Fujian was commissioned on November 5 in Sanya, Hainan.
The Fujian was launched in June 2022 and conducted its first sea trial in May 2024. Now that it has been commissioned, it means China has entered the "three-carrier" era. China's first two carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, were commissioned on September 25, 2012, and December 17, 2019, respectively.
America's most advanced "Ford"-class aircraft carriers also use electromagnetic catapult technology, but have yet to successfully launch fifth-generation fighter jets with this system. Last month, Trump, during a visit to the U.S. aircraft carrier "Washington" stationed in Japan, claimed he would order U.S. carriers to return to traditional steam catapults.
Xu Ruilin, senior researcher at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told the "Lianhe Zaobao" that the Chinese Navy has long been fully aware of the problems encountered by the U.S. Navy in adopting electromagnetic catapult technology, so Trump's remarks will not affect Beijing's advancement of electromagnetic catapult technology.
Compared to the Fujian, which had already demonstrated the first catapult takeoff and landing training of three types of carrier-based aircraft - the J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 - before its commissioning, the U.S. "Ford" carrier still cannot achieve electromagnetic catapult takeoff of the F-35C. Xu Ruilin pointed out that this sharp contrast makes the Fujian the world's first aircraft carrier to successfully take off fifth-generation fighter jets using electromagnetic catapult technology, which "undoubtedly enhances confidence in the Chinese Navy's own plans."
Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping analyzed for this newspaper that the development of the Fujian does not follow the conventional path, but instead takes an alternative route, focusing on the research and development of electromagnetic catapult technology. In contrast, the U.S. "Ford" carrier, due to high failure rates of its electromagnetic catapult devices, has not yet fully formed complete combat capabilities and support systems.
On the other hand, the "New York Times" cited expert comments stating that the Fujian is the first Chinese aircraft carrier to be comparable in scale and combat capability to the United States.
Reuters cited statements from regional military officials and analysts that they will closely monitor the Fujian's subsequent deployment actions, assessing how quickly the carrier can achieve combat readiness by observing its flight operations and its ability to work in coordination with supply ships and submarines.
Xu Ruilin believes that it is foreseeable that foreign militaries, especially the United States and its allies, will closely monitor the Fujian's movements to obtain intelligence on its combat capabilities.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570691746607219252/
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