China launched most modern aircraft carrier "Fujian"
Highlights:
- Recently, on June 17, 2022 China launched its third aircraft carrier, named “Fujian” in a bid to extend the range of its navy in Indo-Pacific region.
- Fujian aircraft carrier: A Fact File
- The newly launched aircraft carrier is most advanced and first “fully domestically built” naval vessel.
- It was launched at a brief ceremony, at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard.
- It is the first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier.
- It has a flat, straight flight deck that has been equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices.
- Launch of Fujian ship was delayed by two months, because of COVID-19 lockdown of Shanghai. Spacecraft was scheduled to be launched on April 23, 2022 to mark 73rd anniversary of People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
- The 3rd aircraft carrier has been built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited.
- Fujian has a displacement of over 80,000 tonnes.
- It is equipped with arresting devices and electromagnetic catapults. It has been named after Fujian province of China.
- Liaoning was the first aircraft carrier of China.
- It was a refit of Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012.
- This launch was followed by indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier named ‘Shandong’, which was launched in 2019.
- Liaoning and Shandong carriers have also been named after provinces in China.
- China has planned to launch around five aircraft carriers.
- The next aircraft carrier that China has planned to build is likely to be nuclear-powered.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been carrying extensive military reforms including downsizing of Army, enhancing the role of Navy and Air Force, as China seeks a global expansion with military bases in Djibouti in Horn of Africa.
- It has already taken over Hambantota port of Sri Lanka for a 99-year lease.
- It has modernised Gwadar port in Pakistan.
- The country is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in South China Sea as well as East China Sea.
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