New destroyers, submarines, frigates and aircraft carrier Fujian are almost ready

China China began the new year by warning Taiwan against reunification of the island as a key plank of policy, but also by flexing its military muscle by releasing the first images of its new all-Chinese-built aircraft carrier, the Fujian Type 003. , Which displaces 80,000 tons of weight and is equipped with Electromagnetic catapults Strong defense system. Some Western observers believe that the Fujian aircraft carrier – the third aircraft carrier of the Communist Navy – is the most powerful after the super-powerful American warships. Nimitz and Ford classes.

But alongside the new aircraft carrier, the Asian giant is taking accelerated steps to transform its navy not only into the largest in the world – which it already is – but also into a more advanced and competitive fleet. It is currently not on par with the US Navy – whose fleet and naval budget are far superior – however President Xi Jinping It has been proposed by 2050 to make China the maritime superpower of the 21st century. Some reports confirm this Chinese engineers are already capable of designing and implementing naval units that are more technologically advanced than the best current Western ships.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, and according to the analysis of some high-ranking representatives of the US armed forces, by then China may be ready to invade Taiwan. To achieve this, Beijing needs rapid and robust modernization and development of its fleet. In this sense, it shows a series of developments.

The new one was photographed recently Chinese Type 056 and 056A corvettes – Light frigates according to the classification of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It is capable of displacing two to three tons, is one hundred meters long and is armed with a 57 mm cannon, similar to the Swedish Mk 3 Bofors.

Another link in the Chinese Navy chain is new Type 039C Yuan-class conventionally powered submarines And the Type 054B frigate, with integrated electric propulsion, which will likely succeed the proven 054A frigate. Another important piece in this development is 052D destroyers, Three of the five under construction have already been launched.

But China's biggest leap recently has been the Fujian aircraft carrier. Local media recently published photos of the giant ship, which is nearing completion and could soon begin its maiden sailing. In these photos, the Fujian is seen for the first time being towed by tugboats not far from the dock. Where it has been anchored since its launch. With the wings folded, a life-sized model of a fighter plane can be seen at the back of the aircraft carrier, says the Global Times. Some observers believe it is a J-15 fighter jet, while others believe it may represent a fighter jet The J-35 next generation stealth fighter.

In recent weeks, the Navy has implemented Tests of electromagnetic catapultsAccording to the Chinese newspaper “Global Times”. Chinese commentators confirm that the ship is still in Docking test phase. China's CCTV television quoted one of the officers on board the ship as saying that his country's navy was acting “resolutely and we will strive to achieve combat readiness as soon as possible.”

The Fujian aircraft carrier features many new technologies compared to its predecessors, the Liaoning, which was purchased from Ukraine in 1998 and modernized, and the Shandong, which entered service in 2019 with entirely Chinese manufacture but a design based on the Liaoning.

The Asian giant has become the second country in the world in terms of the number of aircraft carriers, after the United States, which owns eleven super ships, one of which is of the Ford class and the rest are of the Ford class. Nimitz class. Thus, Beijing replaces the United Kingdom, which until now occupied second place in terms of this type of ships.

song zhongping, A Chinese military expert and television commentator told the Global Times that several sea trials will be conducted in 2024 so that Fujian can enter service and achieve operational capability as soon as possible. Some experts believe that it is plausible that within a few years, Beijing will be able to outperform the West in naval military technologies, with the exception of nuclear-powered submarines.