China’s ‘Fujian’ Aircraft Carrier Conducts First Maritime Live-force Training

China’s Fujian (Hull 18) aircraft carrier has completed its first live-force maritime training mission and returned to a military port in Sanya, Hainan Province, alongside the guided-missile destroyer Yan’an (Hull 106) and guided-missile frigate Tongliao (Hull 554).

According to an official Chinese statement issued on Tuesday, this marks the first maritime live-force training mission conducted by the aircraft carrier Fujian since its commissioning on Nov. 5.

During the mission, multiple types of carrier-based aircraft such as the J-15T heavy fighter jet, J-15DT electronic warfare aircraft, J-35 stealth fighter jet, and KJ-600 early warning aircraft completed multiple sorties of electromagnetic catapult-assisted takeoff and arrested landing training, which effectively tested the full-deck operational capability of the aircraft carrier Fujian, and further verified the sound compatibility of the ship's electromagnetic catapult and arresting systems with multiple aircraft types. In addition, the carrier strike group also conducted training on multiple subjects such as formation navigation and joint ship-aircraft search and rescue operations.