Largest aircraft carrier begins sea trial

The CNS Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, embarked on its maiden sea trial on Wednesday morning, according to the People's Liberation Army Navy.

The PLA Navy announced the development in a brief statement, without elaborating on details such as schedule and location of the trial.

It said the colossal vessel set sail around 8 am and the sea trial will determine the reliability and stability of the carrier's propulsion and electric power systems.

According to the PLA Navy, the new vessel has successfully completed its mooring tests and equipment installation process and is ready for sea trials.

As one of the most important pieces of military hardware China is working on, the Fujian was officially unveiled in June 2022 in Shanghai as it was towed out of China State Shipbuilding Corp's Jiangnan Shipyard.

When sailing, the gigantic vessel will displace more than 80,000 metric tons of water. It will be the largest and mightiest warship any Asian nation has ever built, as well as the world's biggest non-American aircraft carrier.

The ship will use an electromagnetic launch system, or electromagnetic catapult, to launch fixed-wing aircraft. This new system will give the carrier a much greater combat capability than its two predecessors, which use a ramp to launch jets.

A shipbuilding industry insider who spoke to China Daily on condition of anonymity said that the first sea trial is especially crucial for the new carrier's development and construction because it will be used to examine the overall design and actual operational performance.

"The maiden sea trial usually doesn't have to last long and the ship needn't sail far, because designers and engineers usually use this occasion to check how the power and propulsion systems function in sea waters, which can be done in coastal waters," he said."Tests on other systems, such as the air-defense or air operation control sections will take place in the next sea trials."

The insider said since the Fujian is the largest naval ship and one of the most sophisticated military assets China has ever built, it will undergo a number of sea trials before it can be commissioned for active service.

Currently, the Navy operates two aircraft carriers — the CNS Liaoning and the CNS Shandong. Both have a standard displacement of around 50,000 tons and a conventional propulsion system, and they use a ski jump method for launching fixed-wing aircraft.

Compared with its two predecessors, the Fujian is much bigger and heavier, and has a larger flight deck and smaller superstructure.

The Liaoning underwent 10 sea trials before going into service, and the Shandong conducted nine before its commissioning.