The construction of China’s “Type 003” aircraft carrier puts Beijing on track to have six carriers by 2035—giving it the strength to go toe-to-toe with the US Navy.
Chinese military analysts have told state broadcaster CCTV that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is on track to receive its third aircraft carrier by the end of the year. Progress continues on the Type 003 Fujian, Beijing’s second domestically-built carrier, which has been undergoing sea trials since May of last year. The new Chinese carrier has accumulated more than 100 days at sea already.
What Makes China’s Fujian Carrier So Special?
The warship, the first to be domestically produced, is more advanced than China’s two operational carriers. The conventionally-powered warship is outfitted with electromagnetic catapults that will enhance its capability to launch aircraft, compared to the ski jump ramp employed on the Type 001 Liaoning and the Type 002 Shandong. The Type 003 Fujian is expected to operate with China’s Shenyang J-35 twin-engine fifth-generation carrier-capable multirole fighter. The most recent sea trials, conducted last month, included flight operations with the J-35.
Displacing between 80,000 and 85,000 tons, the carrier will also be the largest warship in the PLAN’s service—and the third-largest type anywhere in the world after the United States Navy’s Nimitz– and Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered carriers, which displace more than 100,000 tons. However, the electromagnetic catapult system is reportedly more advanced than the steam-powered catapults used on the Nimitz-class vessels. The US Navy faced issues with its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), to the extent that during President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, he criticized the technology and expressed a preference for traditional steam catapults. Since returning to the Oval Office, Trump has not been as vocal about the technology, possibly seeing that China has employed the system on its newest carrier.
The new catapult system could allow the Type 003 carrier to launch heavy fighters, electronic warfare (EW) aircraft, and even airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) planes. That will significantly enhance the capabilities of the PLAN in the South China Sea and beyond.
Moreover, as Army Recognition reported, the commissioning of the Type 003 Fujian will enable the PLAN to simultaneously operate in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Western Pacific more broadly. As the publication noted, it is unclear which area of operations the Fujian will be assigned to: “While the East Sea Fleet lacks a carrier and faces tensions across the Taiwan Strait, proponents for the South Sea Fleet argue that regional challenges, particularly increased US naval activity and Philippine disputes in the South China Sea, demand a more capable deterrent force.”
The Type 003 will also expand the PLAN’s blue-water capabilities, as the carrier will have the range and endurance to operate in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Whether Beijing would do so, given that India now also operates two carriers and has a sizable submarine force, is an unanswered question.
The Fujian Gets China Closer to Its 2035 Strategic Plan
When the Fujian enters service, whether later this year or early in 2026, Beijing will have reached the halfway mark in its goal of fielding six aircraft carriers by 2035.
“China wants more aircraft carriers to better support President Xi’s foreign policy goals, which have called for a more assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific region,” Harrison Kass wrote for The National Interest last May. Kass added that with a fourth carrier being developed, Beijing was well-poised to meet that deadline.
“Remember, China only fielded their first aircraft carrier in 2016—the refurbished Ukrainian carrier, the Liaoning. China’s second carrier, the domestically built Shandong, was not fielded until 2017,” Kass explained. “But the Liaoning and the Shandong are relatively modest aircraft carriers, without nuclear power or catapult launching systems, meaning their endurance and Sortie Generation Rates are limited relative to US peers.”
In other words, Beijing is still far from closing the gap with the US Navy, which will likely still have around 11 nuclear-powered carriers in service by 2035. In addition, the two oldest of the PLAN’s carriers will have such limited capabilities that they may be relegated to training vessels. In spite of China’s robust shipbuilding industry, it will probably be unable to replace the aging Type 001 and Type 002 carriers with more modern ones—meaning that its six carriers in 2035 will likely still perform well behind those of the United States.
Finally, there are the other numbers to consider. India’s two carriers will limit some of China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Japan’s efforts to convert its two multipurpose helicopter carriers to de facto aircraft carriers further complicate Beijing’s plans. All this means that a carrier showdown could be looming in the Western Pacific.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Tik Tok.
Aircraft carrier opening day, China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning ship. Image: Shutterstock / Tik Tok.
