The Fujian aircraft carrier – the most advanced Chinese warship to date – represents a significant step in Beijing’s quest to deploy a true blue-water navy, yet major limitations remain, despite the real progress the vessel demonstrates.
Observers lately tend to have focused on a direct comparison between China’s carriers and the US fleet. That, however, misses a key strategic point. The US still has the edge, but the PLA(N) sees its carriers as elements of power projection in the context of pushing east into the Pacific and particularly towards the First Island chain. Applying political pressure to US-aligned nations in the Indo-Pacific region is likely a higher priority for Beijing than indulging in a standoff with US carriers.
CV-18 Fujian embodies technologies that also feature on the American Gerald R Ford carrier (CVN-78). It represents true progress, particularly with its EMALS-style launch catapults, although the USN still retains significant qualitative advantages – not to mention the quality that stems from quantity! In the near term, China’s three carriers do not directly challenge the US. They do, however, provide a vast learning platform for design, build and CONOPS teams – and they can pose an immediate threat to closer, less well-equipped neighbours.
There are flies in the ointment, however. Most obvious, perhaps, is the conventional rather than nuclear propulsion choice, meaning the carrier will depend on an extensive support group for extended range operations. Some observers, however, have pointed to a fundamental design flaw in the central positioning of the carrier’s island superstructure, claiming it will impede the efficiency of aircraft operations by reducing available deck space. The requirements of the conventional propulsion system, however, dictates at least part of this positioning, in order to facilitate engine exhaust and fuel storage. Also, one of the catapults is badly positioned, according to recent press reports: it cannot be used while aircraft are landing. This – and the forward positioning of a critical aircraft elevator, may stem from a redesign in the catapult configuration during development.
The name Fujian stems from the eponymous province in southeastern China. Although it is often a mistake to read too much into Chinese naming protocols, it is interesting to note that the two component characters – ‘fu’ and ‘jian’ – translate as ‘fortune’ or ‘good luck’ and ‘establish’ respectively.
While a credible challenge to US naval power in the Pacific is not yet on the cards, it remains a future concern. Meanwhile, China is in a far better position than it was a decade ago to project power in an indirect manner, perhaps taking advantage of the indecision and vacillation the current leadership sees in the Trump administration.
Headline image: CV-18 Fujian, China’s latest aircraft carrier. (Creative Commons)
