6 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Chinese state media says Fujian aircraft carrier may be commissioned by end of year
The
Fujian , China's most advanced aircraft carrier, is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
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In a feature broadcast on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the ship's launch, Wei Dongxu, a CCTV military commentator, said: 'The sea trials of the Fujian have made very good progress and it is expected to enter service this year.'
On Monday state media dropped another hint that the ship would soon be entering service by referring to an 'era' when the
Chinese navy would have
three carriers
Satellite images of the ship circulating on social media over the weekend showed 36 newly painted spaces on the flight deck for warplanes, a higher capacity than the country's two existing carriers.
Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former PLA instructor, said the new markings suggested that the Fujian 'is getting prepared to be commissioned'.
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'The aircraft carrier will [then] enter trial service to continue testing the adaptability and coordination between the carrier and aircraft or other weapon systems,' he said.
