China propels its initial jet aircraft from its most modern aircraft carrier using a catapult
China's Fujian Aircraft Carrier Completes Catapult Take-off Trials
China's Fujian aircraft carrier has made a significant stride towards becoming fully operational, as it successfully conducted catapult take-off trials in early August 2025. The trials mark a key milestone in the carrier's development, with full operational status anticipated by the end of the year.
The Fujian is China’s first carrier equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), similar to the technology used by the US Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford but adapted domestically. This advanced system enables aircraft with larger payloads to launch from the ship's deck, opening the door to launch heavier, more advanced aircraft, like electronic warfare or early-warning planes.
State media footage aired around early August 2025 showed a J-15T fighter jet preparing for and apparently completing catapult launches, marking China's transition from ski-jump to catapult-assisted carrier launches. The Fujian, which displaces about 80,000 tons, is larger and more advanced than China’s previous carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, significantly enhancing China’s naval aviation capabilities.
The carrier has been conducting intensive sea trials since May 2024 in the Yellow Sea, with escalating trial complexity including these catapult operations. The successful catapult tests enhance China’s ability to project power regionally and globally by enabling launch of fighters with greater payloads and faster cycles, moving closer to operational carrier strike group functionality.
Senior Captain Tian Wei, head of naval aviation aboard the Fujian, stated that the Fujian is now entering its final preparatory stage after completing its eighth sea trial in May. The trials were followed by emotional reactions from the crew and researchers on board the vessel, with one command crew member heard saying, "All set, conditions normal ... take-off!"
If the claims are true, this would be a significant milestone for the Fujian. The challenge for the Fujian is to add to its capacity for seamless transition from ski-jump to catapult take-off, optimising and shortening this time to rapidly achieve combat capability upon commissioning.
The segment was aired as part of a celebration of the 98th anniversary of the PLA (People's Liberation Army). If the Fujian achieves full operational status by the end of 2025, it will represent a major leap in Chinese naval aviation technology.
Scientists and engineers are working diligently to optimize the electromagnetic aircraft launch system on China's Fujian aircraft carrier, aiming to shorten the time for seamless transition fromski-jump to catapult take-off, thus boosting its combat capability. In the realm of finance, analysts are predicting a surge in investments in China's industry, as global players recognize the potential of China's advancements in transportation technology, including carriers like the Fujian.
