This is a link to the real article about CVN-77 on USNI news.
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USNI view of Fujian dated March 2026..I want to stay on topic..
On 5 November 2025, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its newest and most powerful aircraft carrier, the Type 003
Fujian. Built at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the 80,000-ton conventionally powered warship was laid down in 2016 and launched in June 2022.
Measuring 1,037 feet long with a 249-foot beam, the
Fujian is considered the world’s largest nonnuclear-powered warship. Numbered CV-18, she conducted sea trials during 2024–25 and is the third PLAN aircraft carrier in service. The
Fujian was designed domestically and incorporates catapults as part of an electro-magnetic launch system (EMALS). Two older carriers, the Type 001
Liaoning and Type 002
Shandong, joined the Chinese fleet in 2012 and 2019, respectively, but were based on a Soviet design and feature only a “ski jump” flight deck to enhance short takeoffs. (See “
,” April 2020)
The
Fujian’s electro-magnetic launch system is similar in concept to the EMALS found on the U.S. Navy’s newest
Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carriers. It provides advantages including increased sortie generation and the ability to launch a wider variety of aircraft. While the
Gerald R. Ford class has four catapults—two bow and two “waist”—the
Fujian has only three, with two situated at the bow and one along the angled deck. The
Fujian’s flight deck, however, has a narrower angle than U.S. aircraft carriers. This likely will restrict her ability to conduct simultaneous takeoffs and landings because of overlaps between the landing strip and bow catapults. Furthermore, the
Fujian has only two aircraft elevators, both located starboard, with one fore and one aft of the island structure. These may result in further reduced sortie rates and additional aircraft bottlenecks during flight operations, especially when compared with the
Gerald R. Ford class with three aircraft elevators and the
Nimitz class with four.
Despite these shortfalls, the
Fujian is significantly more capable than the
Liaoning and
Shandong and can operate more powerful aircraft. The
Fujian’s air wing likely will number around 50–60 aircraft, with a mix of J-15T Flying Shark fighters, J-15D electronic warfare jets, J-35 stealth fighters, KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft, Z-20 helicopters, and a variety of unmanned systems.
Crew size is estimated at roughly 2,000 ship’s company and 1,000 embarked air wing personnel. For self-defense, the
Fujian reportedly will be fitted with multiple HHQ-10 short-range missile launchers and 11-barrel 30-mm close-in weapon system gatling guns. The
Fujian’s propulsion system is said to incorporate eight boilers and four steam turbines with diesel generators and four shafts. This provides a top speed of roughly 30 knots and a maximum unrefueled range of 8,000–10,000 nautical miles.
Last year, a fourth Chinese aircraft carrier, widely thought to be nuclear powered, was reportedly under construction at Dalian Shipbuilding in Dalian. According to the U.S. Department of Defense’s 2025 annual report to Congress on Chinese military and security developments, the PLAN intends to acquire six additional aircraft carriers during the coming decade. This will brings to nine the total number of planned carriers for the Chinese Navy by 2035.
