Fujian | What is China’s newest and largest aircraft carrier has gone to sea for the first time for its navigation tests | USA | Xi Jinping | How is China’s naval power? How is China’s military strength? the world

It is the third aircraft carrier ChinaAfter the ships Liaoning Y Shandong. If all goes according to plan, he will be considered soon Largest naval fleet in the worldAlthough not very powerful, step CNN.

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He Fujian He left the shipyard JiangnanIn Shanghai,”Mainly tests reliability and stability of propulsion and electrical systems” state news agency Xinhua reported.

These tests, which will be held till May 9, will also help Verify that it meets the technical requirements for operation at sea.

A fleet assessment is expected to take place East China SeaAbout 130 kilometers from the Jiangnan shipyard, CNN said.

Fujian’s abilities

He Fujian This is part of the ambitious plan Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Six aircraft carriers to be built by 2035

Its construction started six years ago and it will be launched in 2022. So far, it has “completed its mooring tests, equipment work and equipment repairs,” Xinhua said.

When fully operational, it will be capable of moving 80,000 metric tons. Above two active aircraft carriers ChinaHe ShandongDisplaces 66,000 tons; And this Liaoningwith 60,000 tons.

At this point, it should be noted that the United States has 11 aircraft carrier There are huge ones Displacement capacity of 100,000 tonnes.

Unlike the Liaoning and Shandong, both based on Soviet designs, Fujian is completely designed and built in ChinaIt represents a significant improvement compared to its predecessors.

The Fujian was the first Chinese aircraft carrier to have electromagnetic catapults For launching heavier and larger aircraft compared to Liaoning And this ShandongIt uses a sky jump-type launch system, according to Xinhua.

Analysts consulted by CNN said the potential Fujian Enables larger, more heavily armed warplanes to be launched over longer distances aircraft carrier And The Chinese Navy has a larger combat range than its predecessorsprovide People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) So-called “blue water” capabilities.

“These sea trials represent the first major step in development China The ability to project sea-based air power into deep ocean regions,” Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain and former director of the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, told CNN.

CNN noted that the electromagnetic catapult system is Eq Fujian With America’s new aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s only active aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. The US Navy’s 10 oldest aircraft carriers, the Nimitz class, use steam catapults to launch aircraft.

However, CNN said All US aircraft carriers will retain two key advantages over the Fujian: power and size.

US nuclear powered ships allowing the crew to remain at sea as long as their supplies remain. On the contrary, Fujian runs on conventional fuelThat means it must call at a port or be met by an ocean tanker to refuel.

As for size, according to estimates Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Los aircraft carrier Larger American Airlines can accommodate up to 75 aircraft, which is planned for 60 aircraft. Fujian.

Researchers have also said aircraft carrier The Americans have more slings, a larger airway and more elevators to allow aircraft to be deployed faster from the hangar deck below.

It is believed to be commissioned Fujian It could happen next year or in 2026.

The road to consolidation as a military power

A report by the United States Congressional Research Service, which cites pentagonmentions that China It has the largest navy in the world And by 2030 it will have 435 ships.

The naval build-up is aimed at “dealing with the situation in Taiwan, if necessary militarily“, as well as “achieving a greater degree of control or dominance over the maritime region close to China, esp South China Sea“, according to the report.

For its part, China is strengthening its military at a very rapid pace, BBC Mundo reported. Its advances in missile technology, nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence are raising concerns among Western powers.

Also remember that the President Xi Jinping It has ordered to complete the process of modernization of armed forces by 2035.

According to the President, China “To become a ‘world-class’ military power,”Fight battles and win”, by 2049.

To meet these objectives, Beijing is increasing its defense spending. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), military budget China It has experienced an average annual increase of 13% over the past decade.

On March 5, the Chinese government announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budget to 1.6 trillion yuan ($220 billion). It is the second largest spender in the world, behind the US, which spends more than 905 billion.

This increase has allowed the PLA to develop and purchase a variety of new military equipment J-20 fighter jets, Jin class nuclear guided missile submarines, Shang-II class SSNs, aircraft carriersDF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and China’s own research, design and construction materials, the portal pointed out. The reason.

Regarding its nuclear power, a Pentagon report released in October 2023 estimated that China is developing its nuclear arsenal too rapidly and the Asian giant More than 1,000 nuclear weapons will be operational by 2030.Roughly twice as many as today.