The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s newest and most capable aircraft carrier launched and recovered the next-generation of Chinese naval aircraft – including the J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter, J-15 attack jet and KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to the PLAN. The Type 003 aircraft carrier was launched in the summer of 2022, making it the largest warship to be launched in Asia since the end of World War II. Beijing has also equipped the carrier with an electromagnetic catapult, making Fujian the only other vessel outside the U.S. Navy to be equipped with the advanced aircraft launching system. Ben Lewis, a co-founder of PLATracker, told USNI News that the test was a “significant milestone” for the Chinese military’s carrier program. “Once operational, the PLAN will have the capacity to field fifth-generation stealth carrier aircraft, supported by fixed-wing carrier-based airborne early warning and command aircraft, across the first island chain and Western Pacific Ocean,” Lewis said.