China decodes US tech, Fujian aircraft carrier tests catapult launch of J-15T fighter
The footage, published by Chinese state media just before the 98th anniversary of the PLAN, depicts a J-15T fighter positioned on the Fujian's deck with afterburners engaged and an officer authorizing takeoff.
The Fujian carrier's recent successful tests of electromagnetic catapult launches with the domestically modified J-15T fighter demonstrate China's adaptation of advanced US naval technology, specifically the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) that the US pioneered on its latest USS Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. This breakthrough shifts China away from earlier ski-jump assisted launches towards a CATOBAR configuration (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery), enabling heavier aircraft with larger weapons and fuel payloads and faster launch cycles. — ianellisjones (@ianellisjones)
The United States Navy's flagship carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), represents the pinnacle of naval aviation technology and remains the world's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier as of 2025. Commissioned in 2017, Gerald R. Ford displaces approximately 100,000 long tons at full load, stretches 337 meters in length, and supports a crew totaling over 4,500 personnel including its air wing. It carries more than 75 aircraft and features the revolutionary Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). In contrast, China's latest carrier, the CNS Fujian (Type 003), displaces over 80,000 tons. While smaller than the Gerald R. Ford, the Fujian represents a transformative leap in Chinese naval aviation capabilities, allowing operation of heavier, more advanced aircraft like the catapult-modified J-15T fighters and future stealth platforms.
According to the Congressional Research Service, China's navy surpassed the US in sheer numbers of battle force ships years ago and aims to expand its fleet to nearly 400 ships by 2025 and over 430 by 2030, compared to the US Navy's planned fleet of about 290 ships by 2030. While the US maintains qualitative superiority in areas such as nuclear submarines and global reach, China rapidly closes gaps in surface ship technology, shipbuilding capacity—estimated to be over 200 times larger than the US—and naval aviation capabilities.
China's Fujian, launched in mid-2022 and undergoing intensive sea trials since 2024, features three state-of-the-art electromagnetic catapults and will operate an advanced air wing consisting of J-15T fighters, the stealthy J-35, electronic warfare J-15D jets, and KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft. The carrier displaces between 80,000-85,000 tons, comparable to the US's earlier generation supercarriers. The J-15T jets seen in official footage display reinforced landing gear and launch bar fittings, evidencing the move from ski-jump to catapult launch technology.
This leap reflects China's systematic efforts to reverse-engineer and innovate on US naval technologies, tightening the technological gap in key areas of catapult launch systems—previously a uniquely US preserve on nuclear carriers—and enhancing China's ability to sustain higher sortie rates and flexible mission profiles critical for blue-water naval dominance.However, major differences remain. The US Navy leads significantly in nuclear-powered submarines (66 vs 12), a critical factor in strategic deterrence and underwater warfare. The US also retains greater global naval reach with 11 carriers and numerous overseas bases compared to China's three carriers primarily focused on the Indo-Pacific theater.China's rapidly expanding shipbuilding industry, with far greater capacity than the US's more constrained yards, offers a strategic advantage in sustained wartime ship replacement and fleet expansion. Analysts note that China's newer ships benefit from modern designs and advanced weapons systems, with many vessels launched after 2010, while a majority of US ships onboard are older generations undergoing modernization.
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