BEIJING: China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian, will make regular appearances on the high seas, said a Chinese navy spokesperson on Saturday.
While the Sanya military port in south China’s island province of Hainan is the carrier’s home port, the vast ocean is its “true home,” Senior Captain Leng Guowei said in a written interview.
The Fujian was commissioned into active service on Wednesday at a naval port in the city of Sanya. It is the largest warship in the navy. Named after Fujian Province in east China and launched in June 2022, this gigantic vessel was independently designed and built by China.
While the Fujian was under construction, the development and testing of supporting equipment, including carrier-based fighter jets such as the J-35, the J-15T and the J-15D, the KongJing-600 early warning aircraft and the Z-20 series helicopters, was progressing steadily as planned, according to Leng.
It won’t be long before the Fujian is fully outfitted with its carrier-based aircraft, the spokesperson said.
Noting that many of the facilities and technologies on the Fujian are being put into practical use for the first time, Leng said the carrier will continue to be subject to in-depth test verification after its commissioning.
Leng emphasized that China’s efforts in the development and improvement of weapons and equipment do not target any other country or specific objective, nor do such endeavors pose threats to other countries or regions.
These initiatives are aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, the spokesperson explained.
Bearing the hull number 18, the Fujian is one of the country’s three carriers currently in service.
China will make its subsequent aircraft carrier development plans with full consideration of national defense needs, Leng said.
