Recently, images of the flight deck of the new Fujian aircraft carrier of the People’s Republic of China have been released, showing a total of 5 mockups of aircraft. This gives a glimpse into what the future Carrier Air Wing might entail. This comes at a time when sea trials are anticipated for the Type 003 of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
The images, apparently taken by a passenger of a commercial aircraft, were uploaded to social media on April 16th. Despite not being very clear, they allow the Fujian to be recognized at the Changxing Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, where it is undergoing the final stages of its construction and preparation. It is worth noting that the Type 003 aircraft carrier is the first one to be entirely designed in the People’s Republic of China and will be the first with the capability of launching aircraft using catapults (CATOBAR) instead of a ski-jump (STOBAR) like the two previous vessels, Liaoning and Shandong.
Regarding the mockups, the published images specifically show models of the KJ-600 aircraft, a twin-engine turboprop fixed-wing aircraft for airborne early warning and control missions; also of the J-15 fighter jets, a model derived from the Russian Federation’s Su-33 and already present in the Carrier Air Wings of Liaoning and Shandong, but with a new version under development (J-15B) for the Fujian; in addition to the JL-10J model used for pilot training. Finally, the presence of the future fifth-generation carrier-based J-35 fighter jet is observed, which is believed to have been developed in large part by incorporating characteristics of the American F-35 and had already been spotted in previous images of the Fujian.
The latest fighter, the J-35, stands out among all the visible aircraft models as Beijing’s most recent endeavor in terms of fifth-generation stealth aircraft. Officially disclosed information is scarce, but it is known that this aircraft is a derivative of the existing FC-31 fighter jet, capable of reaching speeds of Mach 1.8 with a combat radius of 2,000 kilometers. It is also known that the J-35 has wings with folding capability almost identical to the F-35 (which uses the EOTS system), making it especially useful for carrier-based operations. In summary, the cockpit also showcases very similar qualities to its American counterpart, as the arrangement of the HUD and its opening only serves to remind one of the aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin.
Beyond the various embarked models observed, the trials that the Fujian is undergoing are nearing completion, with an estimated delivery in the year 2025. This will open the doors to the production of more aircraft carriers for the PLAN, in line with its ambitions to expand and make a technological leap that will make it a worthy rival of the US Navy.
*Image credits: Andreas Rupprecht; PLAN
You may also like: Lockheed Martin and CoAspire unveiled the new Mako hypersonic multi-mission missile for the U.S. Navy
