China's Fujian aircraft carrier commissioning 'not far off', says spokesperson

The commissioning of China's Fujian aircraft carrier, which has been successfully conducting tests and training as planned, is "not far off," a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

Zhang Xiaogang, the spokesperson, responded to a media inquiry during a regular press conference.

He noted that carrier-based aircraft J-15T, J-35, and KongJing-600 successfully completed catapult-assisted takeoff and arrested landing training aboard the Fujian aircraft carrier.

The success of the training shows that the Fujian has gained electromagnetic catapult launch and recovery capabilities, paving the way for various types of carrier-based aircraft to join the carrier formation, and marking a milestone in China's aircraft carrier development, according to Zhang.

The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier with hull number 18, was launched in June 2022 and named after Fujian Province. Unlike the ski-jump decks of China's first two carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, the Fujian features a flat flight deck, with a full-load displacement over 80,000 tonnes.