福建舰

choi

(1) 丁增义 and 黎云 (北京), 中国海军三型舰载机在福建舰成功完成起降训练. 新华社, 2025年9月22日 (video: 1:05 in length).
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2025092 ... 52760fec7f1c/c.html

(2) Matthew Loh and Chris Panella, China's newest aircraft carrier just launched a stealth jet with an electromagnetic catapult, marking a major capability jump. Business Insider, Sept 23, 2025 (2:56 PM ET; video: 8:52 in length).
https://www.businessinsider.com/ ... ter-catapult-2025-9

Quote:

(a) The video clips released by the People's Liberation Army Navy * * * The Fujian, as shown in the PLAN videos, hosts three electromagnetic launch systems * * *

(b) "While the US Navy has launched fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighters from Nimitz-class carriers [with steam catapult], it has yet to do so from the newer Ford class using its electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). The PLAN footage indicates that China has become the first country to launch a stealth fighter aircraft off of a carrier with an electromagnetic catapult for flight operations — in this case, the new Shenyang J-35.   The Ford was the first aircraft carrier to deploy with an electromagnetic catapult, but it still hasn't used it to launch an F-35C, the carrier-based variant of the stealth jet. The ship is not configured or certified for that * * *

"There are engineering hurdles when it comes to catapult launching stealth aircraft off the flight deck of a carrier, both for the launch system and for the planes. Stealth aircraft, for instance, are optimized in a way that doesn't necessarily lend itself to brute-force reinforcement and need additional engineering to withstand carrier catapult launches and absorb stress.

"Previous PLAN reports said China had test-launched a J-35 from the Fujian as early as September 2024, but it did not show the actual takeoff at the time. The new clips released, however, clearly depict a J-35 performing a launch and returning to the deck.

(c) Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies "said that while the J-35 launch is notable, perhaps the most interesting aircraft in the video is the KJ-600.

"The KJ-600 'gives China a capable, fixed-wing early warning aircraft aboard, enabling detection and command well beyond what helicopters or ship radars alone can provide,' he said, adding that the plane "fills a critical gap in China's naval aviation, allowing its carrier strike groups to see farther and coordinate more complex operations."

(d) "The videos released on Monday come as the Fujian heads into its final sea trials before commissioning. The ship was launched in 2022 * * *

"According to the PLA's news service, the clips were filmed around September 3, when China celebrated its Victory Day with an audacious parade of its most advanced prototypes and systems yet.

My comment:
(a)
(i) Xi'an KJ-600
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi%27an_KJ-600
(section 5 Specifications (KJ-600): Empty weight: 25,401 kg (56,000 lb), Gross weight: 30,481 kg (67,200 lb) )

Google AI: Aircraft gross weight is the total combined weight of an aircraft and its contenta (like fuel, passengers, cargo and crew) at any moment during its operation, either on the ground or in flight.
(ii) Shenyang J-35
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-35
("the maximum take-off weight was increased from 25 t (25,000 kg; 55,000 lb) to 28 t (28,000 kg; 62,000 lb).[88]")
(iii) The en.wiki[edia.org for "Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II" depicts weight for F-35A (land version) only.
(b) USS Gerald Ford first uses flush desk catapult
(photo attached at the bottom)
, and now China.
(c) Most puzzling to me is USS Ford's EMALS (Genera; Atomics won the contract on June 8, 2023 to supply it) has a grove on the carrier deck (see Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. General Atomics, undated (video: 2:52 in length)
https://www.ga.com/alre
(at 0:12 flush desk catapult; at 0:34 a grove)
, which may be due to distance in the Xinhua videos I fail to see in Fujian carrier.