The Fujian uses electromagnetic catapults that allow planes to strike from a greater distance.

China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has entered service days after a grand commissioning ceremony overseen by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, state media said.

The Fujian, the country’s third warship, is equipped with electromagnetic catapults which will allow planes to be launched at higher speeds.

Its launch marked a significant step forward for Beijing, which now has the world’s largest navy in terms of sheer number of ships.

China has been expanding its navy at breakneck speed under Xi, putting pressure on the United States and its allies to keep up.

  • LemUserEnglish
    9·
    14 hours ago

    Electromagnetic catapults? I heard that steam power is better. Especially steam created by big beautiful clean coal. Everyone is saying.

    • tomatolung@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      2·
      11 hours ago

      You mean: https://www.twz.com/sea/executive-order-to-go-back-to-steam-catapults-on-new-aircraft-carriers-coming-trump

      President Donald Trump says he plans to sign an executive order that would compel the U.S. Navy to use steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators on new aircraft carriers. Trump has railed against the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest supercarrier, for years now. Ford‘s catapults and elevators have faced reliability and maintenance issues, but swapping out these features, even just for future ships in the class, would involve an extremely costly and time-consuming redesign that would further delay new carriers entering service.

      Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order regarding carrier catapults and weapons elevators during often free-wheeling remarks to servicemembers aboard the Nimitz class carrier USS George Washington earlier today. The George Washington is currently in port in Yokosuka, Japan, where it is forward deployed. The President is in Japan as part of a larger tour of Asia.

      …