China presented its third aircraft carrier, the largest and most modern in the fleet, which is the first designed and built entirely in the country and that marks a major milestone in the military progress of the Asian giant.
His presentation coincides with a moment of tension between China and the United States over the status of Taiwan, the island of 24 million inhabitants governed autonomously and democratically, but which Beijing considers to be part of its territory.
The new “Fujian” aircraft carrier, named after one of the Chinese provinces as tradition says, presents important technological improvements compared to its predecessors.
The boat was launched into the sea in a ceremony in which a regiment of sailors dressed in white participated. who applauded under colored clouds of steam released over the ship to celebrate its premiere.
This presentation marks a major milestone in China’s military career, as it will have the capacity to load up to 80,000 tons, bringing it closer to the US aircraft carriers that carry 100,000 tons.
(Also: Japan: they will punish with jail and fines to insult on the internet).
The “Fujian” has significantly more advanced technology than its two predecessors, including an electromagnetic propulsion system, which allows planes to be loaded with more fuel reserves and weapons.
It will now undergo various sea trials and will then be returned to the naval forces. China has not specified when it will enter service, but it will not be immediately and the process could take years.
a turning point
The launch ceremony coincides with the heightening of geopolitical tensions with the United States over the Asia Pacific region and with the many territorial disputes with other countries over the South China Sea.
Chinese Defense Minister, Wei Fenghe warned the United States last week that his country would fight “at any cost and to the end” to prevent Taiwan from declaring its independence.
Collin Koh, a researcher at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the ship may mark a “turning point” for the Chinese navy.
(Don’t Stop Reading: Astronaut Says US UFOs Could Be Time Travelers.)
“The Chinese navy is likely to use its aircraft carriers mainly for deterrence in peacetime and for high-intensity missions in wartime,” the expert said.
At the level of internal politics, “an aircraft carrier also symbolizes the strength of a country and feeds the discourse of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” he added.
However, it may be years before the “Fujian” is fully operational.
The first such ship of the Chinese navy, the “Liaoning”, entered service in 2012 and served mainly as a training platform.
🇨🇳 On June 17, the third Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian (bn18) Type 003 for the PLA Navy was launched at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai. Fujian, with a displacement of 80,000 tons, is the first ejection-type aircraft carrier designed and built by China entirely independently pic.twitter.com/89CSwCPVmG
— Gimmi Jones ‘pls follow, like and share me 4 mr’ (@GimmiJones) June 17, 2022
The accumulated knowledge was later used for the “Shandong”, the first aircraft carrier built entirely by China and commissioned at the end of 2019.
However, unlike US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the Chinese ship uses conventional technology.
According to Janes, the reference agency for military information, The United States is the world leader in aircraft carrier fleet with 11, ahead of China and the United Kingdom with two fully operational.
Russia, France, Italy, India and Thailand follow, with an aircraft carrier.
AFP
You can also read:
– North Korea investigates outbreak of unidentified ‘intestinal disease’.
– They accuse a woman of murdering her husband and making empanadas with his meat.
– Disney sells private jet tours to visit its theme parks.
– Watergate: 50 years since the scandal that brought down a US president.
#China #shows #military #presents #giant #modern #aircraft #carrier