Wednesday, December 11, 2024

China's 3 aircraft carriers train simultaneously at sea

For the first time this week, China's three aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, the Shandong and the Fujian, conducted training and sea trials simultaneously.

Although not acting in a coordinated manner here, and these ships, their crews, and more generally, Chinese embarked naval aviation, are still learning the potential of this tool, to invent the doctrines that will be used, this event marks a new stage in this very effective progression.

This first constitutes an excellent support, to take stock to date, as to the current and future capacities of the Chinese Navy in the field of aircraft carriers, aircraft carriers and embarked aviation.

China's air force has been growing rapidly over the past decade

Since the entry into service of the first Chinese aircraft carrier CV16 Liaoning in September 2012, the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army have made significant efforts, both to make this ship, and those that followed, operational, and to learn how to use it effectively.

Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning
Liaoning aircraft carrier and J-15 fighters

During the first three years of Liaoning's service, the Chinese Navy initially trained a small number of pilots in landing and takeoff maneuvers using Liaoning's ski jump, which was not without its problems due to the lack of experience in this area, and a carrier-based fighter, the J-15, which still lacked reliability. At first, during the day exclusively, then, gradually, during the day and at night, and in all weathers.

Seven years later, in September 2019, the second aircraft carrier, the CV 17 Shandong, entered service, the first ship entirely designed and manufactured by the Chinese naval industry. By that time, the Chinese Navy already had several squadrons of J-15s trained and equipped, thanks to the experience gained on the Liaoning.

The two ships then began a second, more operational phase of training, involving the execution of air missions in close coordination with naval forces, as well as with land-based forces, while remaining, most of the time, in the China Sea.

At the same time as the launch of the third Chinese aircraft carrier, the CV 18 Fujian, a ship that was both more imposing and, above all, equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the two other aircraft carriers began to begin power projection training beyond the first circle of islands bordering the China Sea.

So today, the Chinese navy has real operational capabilities of embarked fighters, which will reach their full potential when Fujian enters service, probably in the second or third quarter of 2025.

Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian: China's 3 aircraft carriers participate simultaneously in sea exercises

This rapid and controlled rise in power saw a first this week, relayed by the Chinese press. Indeed, for the first time, The three aircraft carriers of the Chinese Navy were simultaneously engaged in exercises at sea.

Fujian aircraft carrier
Launch of the Fujian Type 003 aircraft carrier. The hangars on the deck protect the 3 electromagnetic catapults.

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