The new giants will have a nuclear engine.
A flotilla of Chinese ships, including the aircraft carrier "Fujian," conducted its first exercises involving combat forces at sea since the carrier was commissioned. This was reported by the Xinhua News Agency, citing the leadership of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
During the exercises, operations included formation sailing, search and rescue missions involving aircraft and ships; various types of carrier-based aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, and KJ-600, performed training for catapult launches using an electromagnetic system and landings on the carrier's deck.
"Fujian" was commissioned on November 7 of this year. The ceremony for the ship's battle flag was attended by the Chairman of the People's Republic of China and head of the Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping.
The aircraft carrier is 318 meters long with a displacement of 80,000 tons. It is the first Chinese aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults; it is also armed with four anti-aircraft artillery systems and four surface-to-air missile systems.
The new Chinese aircraft carrier Type 004 is being built at a shipyard in Dalian in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Specifications of Type 004: displacement of up to 120,000 tons, length - 330 meters, width - 83 meters. The commissioning schedule: launching in 2026–2028, commissioning - 2030–2032. One of the main achievements is the use of an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) - an electromagnetic catapult that will allow launching heavier aircraft.
A powerful electric propulsion system will enable the future use of the latest military technologies, including directed energy weapons such as lasers or electromagnetic guns. New images show a structure on the hull of the ship resembling a reactor protective shell, which confirms the assumption about the construction of a nuclear aircraft carrier. The likely developer of the nuclear power plant is the China Nuclear Power Institute (NPIC).
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