Trucks away!

China has begun launching “trucks” from its new-generation aircraft carrier to test an advanced electromagnetic system for catapulting fighter jets into the air. The Chinese navy has copied the US by turning to an electromagnetic-powered catapult for its third carrier, the Fujian. The two other carriers in its fleet, the Liaoning and Shandong, use a ski jump at the end of the deck for launching aircraft. China’s navy has also turned to the technique used by the US for testing the new catapult by launching what are called trucks instead of aircraft for the first series of launches, to avoid the risk of losing fighter jets. The trucks are purpose-built sleds on four wheels loaded with up to 30,000lbs in weights which can be recovered from shallow waters and used again. The catapult system and truck launches are identical to the equipment used for the US Navy’s new class of nuclear-powered carriers, the first of which, USS Gerald R Ford, is currently off Gaza in the eastern Mediterranean. All the other American carries use steam-driven catapults. Electromagnetic catapult systems need less manpower to operate. Each three-second launch consumes about 100 million watts of electricity. The truck-launches from the Fujian, also known as Type 003, have appeared on video images. They demonstrate that the new carrier is now approaching the final stages of its development at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai before it carries out sea trials and enters operational service, expected in 2025. A naval version of China’s J-35 stealth fighter is being developed to operate from the Fujian. The construction of multiple carriers is a key part of Beijing’s ambition to have a navy capable of competing with the US for global reach and power projection. Apart from the Gerald R Ford carrier operating off Gaza, the US Navy currently as the USS Dwight D Eisenhower in the Middle East region. Yesterday the carrier, with its steam-driven catapult system, entered the Gulf waterway after passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. The carrier was sent to the Gulf after an increasing number of rocket and missile attacks by Iran-backed militia against US troops in Iraq and Syria.