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China's new aircraft carrier, the Fujian sets out from Shanghai on Wednesday for its first sea trials. It is the most advanced, and largest aircraft carrier in China, according to CNN.
According to Shanghai's Maritime Safety Administration, the naval assessment is expected to take place in the East China Sea. The assessment of the vessel will take place about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the Jiangnan Shipyard where the carrier has been under construction for over six years. "The sea trials will primarily test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier's propulsion and electrical systems," CNN reported citing Xinhua news agency on Wednesday. The warship was launched in 2022 and has "completed its mooring trials, outfitting work and equipment adjustments" working up to the latest sea trials, Xinhua said. The battleship was launched in 2022 and has "completed its mooring trials, outfitting work, and equipment adjustments" leading up to the most recent sea trials. The Fujian is the largest carrier in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), with a displacement of 80,000 metric tonnes, surpassing the Shandong and Liaoning, which weigh 66,000 and 60,000 tonnes, respectively, according to CNN. The main feature of Fujian is an electromagnetic catapult technology, which allows it to launch larger and heavier aircraft than the Shandong and Liaoning, which employ a ski-jump launch mechanism. Only the US Navy operates larger aircraft carriers than Fujian. The Fujian's electromagnetic catapult system puts it on level with the US Navy's newest carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, which is the only active carrier in the world equipped with one. The US Navy's ten older carriers, known as the Nimitz class, used steam-powered catapults to launch aircraft. (ANI)
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