China says its newest aircraft carrier will be able to launch 'new-type aircraft'

Wed, 04/26/2023 - 12:16

China aircraft carrier Fujian — China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, in Shanghai during its launch ceremony on June 17, 2022.
Li Tang/VCG via Getty Images

China's Fujian is the first non-US carrier to use an advanced electromagnetic catapult system.
State media says Fujian could launch fighters with folding wings, fixed-wing drones, and early warning planes.

China's most modern carrier, the Fujian, will be able to launch "new-type aircraft," state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday.

The carrier, the country's most advanced so far, has yet to be commissioned but is expected to form a core part of China's plans to become a blue-water navy whose forces can operate in the open ocean and far from its shores.