China conducts first catapult-assisted launch and landing drills on carrier

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has completed its first electromagnetic catapult-assisted takeoff and arrested landing trials with three carrier-based aircraft types, according to state media. 

The training involved the J-15T fighter (a Chinese version of the Russian Su-33), the J-35 fifth-generation fighter, and the KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft. Each successfully launched and recovered from the Fujian’s flight deck, marking the first time that China has demonstrated catapult-and-arrest operations across multiple carrier aircraft. 

Initial full-deck capability 

According to the China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the event confirmed the compatibility of the Fujian’s domestically developed electromagnetic catapults and arresting systems with different aircraft classes. Officials described the achievement as conferring “initial full-deck operational capability,” allowing multiple aircraft types to begin integration into carrier formations. 

The J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 were all showcased in early September 2025 during a military parade in Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Second World War. 

A leap in Chinese carrier aviation 

The Fujian is China’s first domestically built CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) carrier and the first to use electromagnetic catapults rather than ski-jump ramps. This allows heavier aircraft and fixed-wing AEW platforms to operate at sea, greatly extending radar coverage and command-and-control reach compared with China’s first two carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong. 

State media framed the achievement as part of a broader progression “from ski-jump to catapult launches” and from single-type to integrated carrier air wings. Analysts note that, while the catapult trials are an essential step, sustained night operations, high-tempo deck cycles and extended deployments remain critical before the Fujian can field a combat-ready air wing for the PLAN. 

What the Fujian’s first catapult launch means for the PLAN 

Launched in 2022, the 80,000-plus-ton Fujian began sea trials in May 2024, moving through propulsion and systems tests before progressing to flight deck operations. Earlier this month, the ship transited the Taiwan Strait toward the South China Sea, underscoring that trials are moving beyond yard-adjacent waters. 

The Fujian could mark the point at which China’s carriers shift from training symbols to tools of sustained power projection, provided the PLAN can achieve the demanding operational standards that define a modern CATOBAR carrier. The latest trials are consistent with that trajectory, highlighting Beijing’s intent to build a “world-class navy”.