Although a few days ago the aircraft carrier Fujian returned to port after completing its first navigation, The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China would be preparing the new ship for a new departure to continue the unit’s systems testing campaign.. The news, made known through the viralization of videos showing various preparations on its flight deck, coincides with the naval exercises carried out by the Chinese naval forces in which the island of Taiwan has been surrounded in several directions.
The Fujian is the second aircraft carrier built by China, and the first of entirely local design unlike the first two based on the Kuznetzov class of Russian/Soviet origin. The ship is currently at the Jiangnan shipyard located in Shanghai. During the last few days, various videos that went viral on social networks gave an account of the preparations that were taking place on her flight deck. More in detail, with the presence of what appear to be two mock-ups of the aircraft that will make up its future Embarked Air Group.
This is not the first opportunity where Mock-ups of this style have been seen, since during the port and propulsion tests in recent months, life-size models of J-15 and J-35 fighters, as well as of the planes of KJ-600 airborne early warning and control. Although there is still a long way to go to carry out tests with the Fujian electromagnetic catapult, this type of mock-ups allow new crews to gain knowledge and become familiar with the operation of these new aircraft.
The preparations on the deck of the aircraft carrier could be indicative that the Fujian would be getting ready in the coming days and weeks to begin a new navigation carrying this type of mock-ups. However, in the current context of tension with Taiwan, it is possible that the ship will not yet leave port until the naval exercises carried out by the Chinese Navy end.
As reported hours ago, combat ships from both the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard are carrying out naval maneuvers around Taiwan in what appears to be an encirclement of the island in several directions. Based on what was reported by the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, the deployment of surface and aerial means through patrols has been detected in its ADIZ, while the Armed Forces that defend the island prepare for the worst scenario.
In this context, it is likely that the Fujian will continue with its tests in port and its preparation to begin a new navigation when these exercises, called Joint Sword 24A, end in the coming days.
*Photographs used for illustration.
You may be interested China warns the US about the potential use of fighters piloted by Artificial Intelligence
