Then Leoning And this ShandongLe Fujian. China officially launched on Friday, June 17th Fujian, Its third aircraft carrier, the official company New China announced at a ceremony organized on the occasion of the opening of the building at the Shanghai shipyard.

With Shandong, Permitted into active service in December 2019, it is the second aircraft carrier to be built entirely by China. China’s first aircraft carrier, The Leoning, Built by the former Soviet Union and purchased from Ukraine. It was admitted to active work in 2012 and served primarily as a training base. The accumulated knowledge was then used to create ShandongAccording to experts, a conventional (and non-nuclear) ship will carry about 40 aircraft.

Le Fujian It is considered to be more technologically advanced than its predecessors. Like them, it has the name of a Chinese province. It will be handed over to the Navy after several tests at sea. New China did not specify a planned date for entering the building’s service, but it will not be immediate and will take place in the coming years.

State broadcast CCTV showed hundreds of sailors in white shirts, hats and trousers cheering the front row of the aircraft carrier decorated with garlands and pennants to the music of the marching band.

A message of power to the Pacific edges

With such a ship, it sends a message of authority to the United States, Taiwanese authorities, and residents of the South China Sea. Its launch comes amid mounting Sino-US tensions around Taiwan, an island with a population of 24 million, which China considers its historic territory. In recent years, in defiance of Taiwanese reconciliation with the United States, the Chinese navy has repeatedly crossed its aircraft carriers through the Taiwan Strait, which separates Chinese territory from the mainland.

Neighboring countries (especially Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam) should also view this new ship with suspicion, as there are regional conflicts with the Asian giants in the East or South China Sea. China has growing economic interests abroad and wants to protect it.

New China says the major improvements over this third Chinese aircraft carrier are that it is much larger than the previous two aircraft and has a catapult structure. The first Chinese aircraft carriers had only a launch pad, but catapult launchers allowed the aircraft to carry more fuel and weapons. The catapult system is electromagnetic, underlining the new China, a sophisticated technology.

According to Janes, a source for military information, the United States has the largest number of aircraft carriers currently in service (11), followed by China (2), the United Kingdom (2), Russia (1), France (1), Italy (1) and India ( 1) and Thailand (1).