China commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Type 003 Fujian (CV-18), during a ceremony on Nov. 5, 2025, marking a major milestone in the PLAN’s carrier aviation development.
China officially announced the commissioning of the Type 003 Fujian aircraft carrier on Nov. 7, 2025. The event, which took place on Nov. 5, was attended by senior political and military leadership including Chairman Xi Jinping, and formally placed the ship into active service following nearly three years of pier-side work, systems testing, and sea trials.
2025年11月5日，中国第一艘电磁弹射型航空母舰CV-18福建舰入列授旗仪式在海南三亚某军港举行。中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平出席入列授旗仪式并登舰视察。 pic.twitter.com/YesyaXYcUX
— Fay (@FaySue6) November 7, 2025
The ship will now begin a period of continued trials and work-up as the PLAN prepares to fully integrate the new vessel into its fighting force, alongside the older CV-16 Liaoning and CV-17 Shandong.
Several aircraft were visible on deck during Xi’s visit, including two J-35s, two J-15Ts, two KJ-600s, and two Z-20Fs. This is the first time the Z-20F has been seen on the carrier, and they each carried missiles from the YJ-9 family of light AShMs (Anti-Ship Missile). The older Shandong was also seen in the background, with its own complement of J-15Ts and Z-18s.
Although footage from the event only emerged two days later, evidence of its commissioning emerged a couple days in advance of the actual ceremony. In fact, on Nov. 3, a ‘military training exercise’ was declared around the base for the timeframe between Nov. 4 and Nov. 6; on Nov. 4, photos showed service members lining up on the deck to man the rails and the application of the pennant number ‘18’ on the ship’s hull.
On the same day, an Air China 747-8 presumed to be carrying Chairman Xi departed Beijing and arrived at Hainan Island, where the ceremony occurred. Both the Fujian and the Shandong were also seen decorated with flags.
The Fujian and its Air Wing
The Fujian is China’s first indigenously designed aircraft carrier, and the second only in the world to feature an EMALS (ElectroMagnetic Aircraft Launch System), following the U.S. Navy’s CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford. It is also the first carrier in the world to launch a fifth-generation fighter using the system, since the Ford is currently unable to operate the F-35C due to troubles with its EMALS.
The vessel, which was built in the Jiangnan Shipyards located to the east of Shanghai, was launched on Jun. 17, 2022, and began sea trials just under two years later in May 2024. After conducting a total of eight sea trials, the vessel was observed transiting the Taiwan strait on Sep. 12, 2025, headed towards the SCS (South China Sea) for further testing.
The PLAN announced on the same day that the Fujian was embarked on a “cross-regional trial and training exercise”, an integral part to pre-service testing. This time, it did not return to Shanghai and instead docked at Sanya, where today’s commissioning ceremony took place.
The naval base at Sanya, on the southern end of Hainan Island, remains one of the most strategically important facilities for the PLAN. Serving as its primary headquarters for SCS operations, its location places it within quick reach of disputed islands and key maritime chokepoints in the region. Notably, the base supports both carrier strike group activity and houses hardened, underground infrastructure for China’s SSBN fleet, highlighting its significance to the PLAN.
Just northeast of the port lies Lingshui Airbase, operated by the PLANAF and best known internationally for the 2001 EP-3 incident. Together, Sanya and Lingshui form the core of China’s southern maritime power-projection network, underscoring Hainan Island’s growing significance in the PLAN’s regional activities.
The Fujian is posed to operate with a significantly more advanced air wing compared to its older counterparts, the Shandong and Liaoning, centered around the next-generation J-35 and the J-15T – the catapult-capable variant of the J-15. The ship will also feature the new J-15DT EW (Electronic Warfare) jet and KJ-600 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft.
Notably, all four fixed-wing types are fairly new, with the oldest, the J-15T, being officially unveiled in late October 2024. The J-35, J-15DT and KJ-600 only just made its public debut on Sep. 3, 2025, when it participated in the parade marking the 80th Anniversary of the end of WWII over Tiananmen square.
