China holds first naval drills with newly commissioned carrier Fujian
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China has begun integrating its newly commissioned, electromagnetic-catapult-equipped aircraft carrier Fujian into active naval operations through its first live-force training drills, signaling a major advance in the modernization of the PLA Navy.
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China's third conventionally powered aircraft carrier, the Fujian, conducts a maiden sea trial on May 7, 2024 (AP)
China has carried out its first naval exercises featuring the newly commissioned aircraft carrier Fujian, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced Tuesday, marking a major step in the country’s ongoing military modernization drive.
The training followed Fujian’s formal commissioning on November 5 during a ceremony at the naval port of Sanya on Hainan Island, an event attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
As China’s third aircraft carrier, and the first equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, the Fujian represents a technological milestone for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
The system allows aircraft to launch with greater efficiency and supports a wider range of carrier-based planes compared to the ski-jump ramps used on China’s older carriers, Liaoning and Shandong.
【Carrier Task Group 18 Conducts First Live Drill at Sea】Recently, the carrier task group led by PLANS Fujian organized multi-subject training at sea. This marks the first live drill conducted by PLANS Fujian since its commissioning. pic.twitter.com/0KayyeP2fZ
— ChinaNavy (@China_Navy) November 18, 2025
According to the Defense Ministry, the Fujian, along with the guided-missile destroyer Yan'an and the guided-missile frigate Tongliao, recently returned to port after completing a series of drills.
The ships rehearsed coordinated movements within a formation, emergency response procedures, and aircraft takeoff and landing operations employing the carrier’s electromagnetic catapult.
https://t.co/PGtLmV5kVv pic.twitter.com/JvrgTFXr8A
— ChinaNavy (@China_Navy) November 18, 2025
China Expands Firepower
With a displacement exceeding 80,000 tonnes, Fujian is the largest warship ever built by China. By comparison, Shandong, commissioned in 2019, is slightly smaller at 70,000 tonnes and can reach speeds of up to 31 knots.
China’s first carrier, Liaoning, began as an unfinished Soviet vessel purchased from Ukraine in 1998 before undergoing extensive refitting.
Beijing’s rapid development of carrier capabilities reflects its ambition to project naval power farther from its shores, expand its operational reach, and narrow the technological gap with established maritime powers.
The introduction of the Fujian into active training suggests the PLAN is accelerating efforts to field a fully capable carrier strike group built around its most advanced platform yet.
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