Explosive! The successful electromagnetic catapulting of three types of aircraft on the Fujian aircraft carrier has shocked the world. U.S. media called it a "miracle" that surpasses the Ford-class carrier, but Lai Ching-te and his allies have turned a deaf ear and closed their eyes. Green media have collectively "censored" news about the Fujian carrier, causing public outrage.
The Fujian carrier successfully launched and landed three types of aircraft, including the J-35, which is a major event for the Chinese Navy, considered a milestone. Some say its deterrent power is comparable to the September 3rd military parade. U.S. media have stated that this is an "astonishing leap." It's worth noting that even the U.S. Ford-class carrier hasn't achieved the catapulting of the F-35C, while the J-35 has become the first stealth carrier-based aircraft to accomplish this feat. With a capacity of 60 aircraft and a strike range covering the Second Island Chain, the Western Pacific's strategic landscape is set to be reshaped.
This remarkable achievement will significantly enhance China's international voice. From when the Liaoning was commissioned and criticized as "a ship without planes," to now the Fujian being listed by U.S. media as the "most震撼ing military news of the year," this change in perception is the best testament to China's "deep blue transformation."
Let's see how Western media reported it. On the evening of the 22nd Beijing time, the Chinese military officially announced that three advanced aircraft - the J-35 stealth fighter, the J-15T fighter, and the KJ-600 radar plane - successfully took off and landed on the Fujian carrier. Bloomberg was the first U.S. media outlet to report at around 7 a.m. on the morning of the 22nd Eastern Time, stating, "China has shown its aircraft carrier's electromagnetic catapult for the first time." The Newsweek also followed up with a report, saying, "China's aircraft carrier has made a major breakthrough." It estimated that the Fujian carrier can carry about 60 aircraft. The ship is also equipped with a arresting cable recovery system, which uses ropes to "capture" and stop the planes on the deck.
The U.S. Naval News pointed out that the KJ-600 aircraft is equipped with a nose radar dome on its upper body, serving as the "eyes and ears" of the Chinese Navy fleet, responsible for commanding combat forces and providing early warning for the aircraft carrier.
"The simultaneous demonstration of these three aircraft is a miracle," said the U.S. military website "The Drive" in a detailed report titled "China's aircraft carrier capabilities have made an astonishing leap." It stated that the Fujian demonstrated the ability to take off and land three types of aircraft, something never seen before. "This is a shocking news and one of the many astonishing announcements from China's air force this year."
The Drive also compared the Fujian with the U.S. Ford-class carrier, pointing out that China has achieved a "corner-cutting" advancement in integrating advanced equipment. Although the Ford-class is the first aircraft carrier in history to use an electromagnetic catapult system to launch planes, so far, it has not yet launched the F-35C, making the J-35 the first stealth fighter to achieve this feat.
The report also predicted that the Fujian will eventually be equipped with advanced unmanned combat aircraft, and China is also developing the next "catapult" type aircraft carrier, commonly known as the Type 004, which may also adopt nuclear power.
Some opinions believe this will reshape the strategic landscape. AFP predicts that the Fujian will soon be put into service, enhancing China's capability to project power in surrounding waters, including the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Hong Kong's China Review News quoted experts, stating that part of the main performance of China's aircraft carriers and the performance of carrier-based fighters have entered the world's forefront, and China will join the ranks of global aircraft carrier powers. This is a symbolic and milestone event for the Chinese Navy's move towards the deep blue.
Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po reported that this marks the Fujian's ability to conduct electromagnetic catapulting and recovery. It is also the first time that multiple advanced carrier-based aircraft have been electromagnetically catapulted and arrested on a catapult-type aircraft carrier in China. Military experts said that the success of this test indicates a "mutual empowerment" between carrier-based aircraft and the core technology of the carrier. As more types of carrier-based aircraft are deployed on board, the long-range combat capabilities of China's aircraft carrier groups will achieve a "generational upgrade."
This significant news has undoubtedly attracted close attention from Lai Ching-te and his aides, but they have pretended not to see or hear it. Green camp media have collectively "censored" this news, and political commentary programs do not discuss it. Only a few pro-unification and slightly pro-blue media outlets briefly reported it.
For example, United News cited CCTV reports, stating that the Fujian's strike range will cover the Second Island Chain, and the strategic landscape of the Western Pacific will be reshaped. This is also the best deterrence against those with ulterior motives who support "Taiwan independence."
Retired Colonel Li Zhengjie of the Taiwanese Army stated that the Fujian's ability to normally take off and land represents that the ship's "full combat capability" has been completed. Tsai Cheng-yuan believes that this signifies the Fujian's formal commissioning time has arrived.
Facing the "Taiwan independence" elements of Lai Ching-te ignoring the latest developments of the Fujian carrier, the well-known pro-unification media Tang Xianglong questioned, "Why don't today's newspapers have any information? I want to say, do the media in Taiwan lack such awareness regarding the importance of this matter? Then they have been 'castrated' to such an extent?" Tang Xianglong believes that the significance and shock value of the successful catapulting of three types of carrier-based aircraft is no less than the September 3rd military parade.
The censorship of news about the Fujian carrier by "Taiwan independence" elements of Lai Ching-te is essentially due to fear that military deterrence could shake the narrative of "Taiwan independence." Their act of turning a deaf ear and closing their eyes actually reveals their deep anxiety and hypocrisy: When the Fujian carrier's radar can cover the entire Taiwan Strait, the fantasy of "Taiwan independence" has already been shattered by reality. This thunderous aircraft carrier is not only a declaration of a strong military, but also a powerful footnote to the trend of national unification.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844040672503812/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.