China’s New Aircraft Carrier Looks Mighty – But Has a Big Problem
On paper, China’s latest airline seems impressive. The Fujian was commissioned on November 5, 2025, and is the third and most powerful of China’s warships. Its introduction hi has been crowned as the world’s largest non-nuclear warship. Which should be a different feather for the makers of China’s first domestically designed aircraft.
And while its conventional power is at a disadvantage compared to American carriers like the Gerald R. Ford, the entire ship looks like a serious development of China’s military capabilities. For example, aside from the aforementioned Gerald R. Ford, Fujian is the only freight company in the world that boasts electric catapults.
In theory, this system allows the carrier to launch a much heavier aircraft with greater fuel and weapons – attributes that should greatly improve the carrier’s dynamic reach and operational flexibility. But scratch just below the surface, and it appears that Beijing’s latest company has at least one fatal flaw.
The nature of the problem was raised after military analysts questioned the effectiveness of the ship’s flight deck structure. Technical evaluation of this design feature appears to point to a structure that may create barriers to launch and acquisition during combat.
This is important, as the error introduces constraints in the very area that ultimately defines a carrier’s combat value – how quickly it can launch and recover aircraft.
Flight deck structural problem
Modern aircraft carriers are a far cry from the first carriers that appeared as soon as flying became a thing. However, regardless of the generation of the carrier, one feature has been important throughout the history of the type – that it can quickly launch and recover the aircraft. This tempo is called sortie generation, and it depends heavily on flight deck geometry, hardware, and a carefully planned flight deck sequence.
We already know a lot about China’s new aircraft carrier, but there are cracks in its mighty facade. In interviews with CNN, former US Navy captain Carl Schuster and Lt. Retired Cmdr. Keith Stewart pointed out aspects of the Fujian deck configuration that can limit the sortie production metric.
After reviewing photos of the carrier, they noted that the angled stand intersects the deck at a smaller angle than on US carriers, reducing the space between the recovery line and the forward catapults. One of those catapults appears to fit into the landing gear, meaning it can’t be used while the aircraft carrier is retrieving the aircraft.
Speaking to CNN, Schuster said, “The operational strength of the Fujian is about 60% of the Nimitz class.” In fact, it seems that the carrier cannot launch and retrieve an aircraft at the same time, something that is considered a requirement for carriers of this size.
The ship’s faults were also noted in a documentary shown on Chinese TV. The broadcast showed a crew member explaining how the landing craft crossed the two launch catapults before stopping in the maintenance area.
A staircase leading to something bigger
This problem does not make Fujian ineffective; the carrier still represents a significant leap forward for China’s navy. The installation of an electromagnetic catapult system alone increased the types of aircraft it could launch and the payloads it could carry. As noted, the Gerald R. Ford is the only operating vessel boasting such a system. Although John F. Kennedy recently completed a milestone on his way to work and will soon join this exclusive club.
However, propulsion systems remain a clear distinction, and this has played a part beyond how ships operate and how long aircraft carriers can stay at sea without refueling. Fujian’s conventional power system is believed to have contributed to design constraints for the elevators, island, and support areas under the flight deck. In comparison, nuclear power frees up more interior volume and allows designers more freedom when considering deck design and flight manipulation.
That’s why analysts now widely expect China’s next carrier, commonly referred to as Type 004, to be China’s first nuclear-powered, and to incorporate lessons learned from the Fujian program.
At the moment, despite its undeniably powerful appearance, the Fujian seems less of a finished product and more like a temporary design. The design bridges China’s transition from glider aircraft carriers to a future where it may join the US and France as the only countries operating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
