In recent times, the Chinese internet has been abuzz with rumors that China’s domestically-built electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, the ‘Fujian’ ship, may be undergoing sea trials for the first time. According to photos circulating on mainland social media, passengers aboard a civilian aircraft captured the latest developments on the ship.
On the 16th, reports from ‘The War Zone’ and ‘BulgarianMilitary.com’ stated that a photo surfaced on mainland social media, indicating the latest developments on the Fujian ship captured by passengers aboard a civilian aircraft.
According to the images, work on the deck of the Fujian ship appears to be largely completed: visible are taxiing guidelines, parking areas, as well as takeoff and landing markings. However, the most eye-catching aspect is the presence of 5 full-sized carrier-based aircraft models on the deck.
Among them are 1 KJ-600 early warning aircraft, two J-15 multirole fighters, 1 J-35 stealth carrier-based fighter, and 1 JL-10 trainer aircraft. However, the final aircraft expected to be deployed is likely the carrier-based JL-10J trainer.
Reports indicate that Andreas Rupprecht, a German expert specializing in PLA aircraft, believes that one of the J-15 models is likely the J-15D electronic warfare aircraft. Of course, once the ‘Fujian’ ship is in service, helicopters and possibly stealth drones are also likely to be deployed. The answer to this mystery may soon be revealed.
Analysis suggests that, simply put, although the deck markings operation may not be completely finished, it is nearing completion. Unless the paint is thoroughly dry, it will not be possible to place anything else on the ship, as wet paint can easily get ‘dirty.’ This implies that once the marking is completed and the paint is dry, the ‘Fujian’ ship will be closer to its first sea trial.
