China’s “Fujian” aircraft carrier became operational – Mehr News Agency | RCO News Agency

According to RCO News Agency, citing Al-Nashrah, China’s third aircraft carrier was put into operation during an official ceremony attended by the president of this country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the launching and flag-handing ceremony of the Fujian warship in Hainan province and boarded it for a visit, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.

The Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier to feature a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults for takeoff, making it a potentially far more powerful naval weapon than the two initial Russian-designed carriers.

The Fujian will be able to carry significantly more and heavier armed jet fighters than the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers, which are smaller and rely on ramps to launch aircraft.

In pre-launch sea trials, the Chinese Navy tested a new version of the J-35 stealth fighter, a KJ-600 early warning aircraft, as well as a variant of its older J-15 fighter on the ship.

The entry into service of the Fujian aircraft carrier is a milestone in President Xi Jinping’s efforts to modernize China’s military and strengthen its naval power, amid tensions with Taiwan and regional disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea.