Naval innovation
Re: "China's updated 6th-generation fighter jets put US on notice for air supremacy", (World, Nov 3). China is not just overtaking the US in air supremacy; it is surpassing the US in the technology to launch a fighter jet from an aircraft carrier.
The US Navy was once proud to announce that USS Gerald R Ford, the supreme nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, could launch its fighter jets with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (Emals), outclassing the conventional steam catapult system used in older carriers (like the US Nimitz-class).
However, the technology behind the electromagnetic catapults on USS Gerald R Ford proved to be hard to master, causing issues for years that the US Navy was unable to mitigate.
In mid-September this year, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy demonstrated its ability to launch and recover aircraft from its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian. Fighter jets carrying over 700kg of missiles and fuel are able to take off in a matter of five minutes, outperforming those of the US.
The Chinese Emals adopted a direct current power transmission system rather than the alternating current catapult system developed by the United States.
Perhaps the success of the PLA has led to President Donald Trump's rant about steam vs electric, and hydraulic vs magnetic, aircraft carrier catapults during his speech to troops aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, claiming the old steam catapult system is good enough.
On Oct 1, 1949, Mao Zedong declared in Tiananmen Square that "the Chinese people have now stood up".
On Nov 5, in a formal commissioning ceremony attended by Xi Jinping, aircraft carrier Fujian officially entered active service. On this day, the Chinese people have stood up both in the air and at sea.
