Fujian Aircraft Carrier Launches the J-35 Jet, Beating the US F-35

China’s J-35 jet recently completed an electromagnetic catapult-assisted takeoff, beating the F-35 to the title of first stealth fighter to launch using an aircraft carrier’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). The system is installed on the nation’s brand-new Fujian ship, which was introduced in 2022 and is still undergoing trials.

The US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford pioneered the use of EMALS, completing its first at-sea launch in July 2017. Since then, it has launched and recovered the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2C/D Hawkeye, C-2 Greyhound, and T-45C Goshawk. However, while it is designed to support the aircraft, the carrier has yet to move the F-35C off the standard catapult for seaborne launches.

The Fujian is China’s third carrier, but the first designed with EMALS instead of a ski-jump ramp. During recent trials, the J-15T heavy strike fighter, the J-35 stealth jet, and the KJ-600 fixed-wing early warning aircraft all successfully carried out catapult-assisted takeoffs and arrested landings. The exercises were described as a step toward full deck operations.

The J-35 is a twin-engine stealth aircraft designed for carrier use, intended to provide both air combat and strike capabilities. Its addition to the fleet represents an effort to move beyond earlier designs like the J-15. The J-15T, a catapult-capable variant of the J-15, remains important for heavy payload operations. The third aircraft, the KJ-600, is a fixed-wing airborne early warning platform designed to extend detection ranges and provide command-and-control, replacing the reliance on helicopters for similar jobs.

China’s previous carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, use only ski-jump ramps that limit the types of aircraft that can be launched. The Fujian’s catapults, if fully operational, will allow heavier aircraft and potentially unmanned systems to be deployed. This places it closer in design to US carriers, though the Fujian is conventionally powered rather than nuclear-powered like the Ford-class.

With Fujian still in testing, however, these capabilities will have to wait. The ship must prove it can reliably operate under sustained conditions at sea before it gets an official commissioning date. If successful, it will give China three active carriers for the first time, expanding its ability to conduct operations beyond its coastal regions.

FMI: www.navy.mil