For the first time, China showed full-fledged flights of fifth-generation J-35 fighters from aboard the new aircraft carrier Fujian. This is reports CNN.
EMALS electromagnetic catapult is used to launch aircraft. Until now, the only aircraft carrier that had such a system was the American USS Gerald R. Ford. Thanks to EMALS, aircraft can take off with a larger supply of weapons and fuel. Two previous Chinese aircraft carriers — “Shandong” and “Liaoning” — equipped with springboards similar to those used on the Russian cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov.
“Fujian” became the largest and most modern Chinese aircraft carrier. Its displacement reaches 80-85 thousand tons, it is equipped with three electromagnetic catapults operating on an integrated electric power plant. According to calculations, this gives a 30% higher launch efficiency compared to the American “Ford” class aircraft carriers.
Despite the fact that “Fujian” not yet fully operational, its catapults are capable of lifting heavier aircraft — including the J-35, KJ-600 and the GJ-11 drone. Combined with the latest Type 055 destroyers armed with hypersonic missiles, this aircraft carrier should become a key element in the formation of a Chinese carrier strike group comparable to that of the United States.
The J-35 (also known as the FC-31) is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Chinese company Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for the Chinese Navy (J-35 version) and the People’s Republic of China Air Force (J-35A version). This aircraft is a further development of the FC-31 prototype and is intended to equip China’s carrier-based aircraft with stealth technology similar to the F-35. The model has options for use from aircraft carriers (with a special hook and folding wings) and for land-based use (with a single nose wheel), which will strengthen China’s maritime ambitions and its power projection capabilities.
