China is devoting a great effort to building aircraft carriers. It has already deployed two conventionally powered carriers, the Liaoning Type 001 (60,000 tons) and the Shandong Type 002 (65,000 tons).
China also is building a much larger aircraft carrier, the Fujian Type 003 weighing 80,000 tons. It was so important that Xi Jinping, the president of China, initially wanted it named after himself.
The Fujian project is significant not only because of its military value but principally because it is a high-prestige project, making China “equal” to the United States.
Both the Liaoning, an updated Russian aircraft carrier hull based on Russia’s Kuznetsov aircraft carrier which the Russians call a cruiser, and the Shandong, an improved copy of the Liaoning, have a ski-jump style carrier deck for launching aircraft. The only fighter aircraft that China has capable of operating on these carriers is the J-15 Flying Shark.
The J-15 is a knock-off of a Ukrainian copy of the Russian Su-33, itself a strengthened and heavier version of the Su-27. The J-15 cannot carry a full load of weapons or filled fuel tanks when operating from these carriers because the aircraft would be too heavy for launch from the carrier deck.
The Russians have already lost at least two Su-33s from the Kuznetsov, one while operating off the coast of Syria.
Russia also has a second aircraft it can use on its carriers, the MIG-29KR. One of these also went to the sea in the Syrian operation.
India operates two aircraft carriers, the INS Vikrant and the INS Vikramaditya. The Vikramaditya uses the Russian MIG-29K and is based on the old Russian Kiev-class design. The Vikrant is planned to use the Rafale M aircraft, although it might also end up with the MIG-29K.
China does not have the MIG-29K. The J-15 Tiger Shark, although it has been improved, renders both the operational Chinese carriers limited in capability and value.
The US Marines for their amphibious assault ships like the USS Wasp (LHD-1) and the British for their new aircraft carriers the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales use the Lockheed F-35B STOVL short take-off, vertical landing stealth fighter jet. These ships do not have launch systems or arresting wires for landing.
Like the US Marines, Japan operates two Izumo-class aircraft carriers, the JS Kaga and the JS Izumo. These are being upgraded to support the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. The Kaga requires extensive modifications, so it will be some time before either of these ships can operate with the F-35B.
For the Fujian, China is betting it can come up with a truly flexible carrier that can launch modern fighter jets such as China’s FC-31 stealth fighter. But China also has taken a significant risk in going for an EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) launcher.
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