Beijing, November 07 (QNA) - China has officially commissioned its third aircraft carrier, Fujian, marking a significant milestone in the country's naval modernization efforts, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the commissioning and flag-presentation ceremony in Hainan Province on Wednesday. Following the ceremony, Xi boarded the Fujian and was briefed on the development of the carrier's combat system, including its advanced electromagnetic aircraft launch system.

After completing a series of sea trials in recent months, the Fujian now joins China's two existing aircraft carriers -- the Liaoning and the Shandong -- in active service. Unlike its predecessors, the Fujian is China's first fully domestically designed and built aircraft carrier, underscoring growing technological self-reliance in defense capabilities.

The carrier is equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), a more advanced and efficient technology compared to traditional steam catapults. This system allows the launch of heavier and more advanced aircraft with greater payloads, significantly enhancing the carrier’s operational capability.

The Fujian is expected to carry a larger and more capable air wing than China's previous carriers, supporting fighter jets such as the carrier-based J-35 stealth aircraft, the KJ-600 airborne early-warning aircraft, and upgraded variants of the J-15 fighter, all of which underwent successful tests during sea trials.

First launched in June 2022 and named after Fujian Province, the carrier has undergone extensive testing before entering service. The Fujian strengthens China's rapidly expanding naval fleet, which is already the world's largest in terms of the number of warships. (QNA)