Maritime tests for new aircraft carrier in 2023

China’s third aircraft carrier “Fujian” is scheduled to undergo its first maritime tests in 2023. “In the new year, we must take hold of all the work centered on the sea trials,” the carrier’s vice-captain Qian Shumin said in a video address released Tuesday. The ship, which launched in June 2022, is currently undergoing further outfitting at the Jiangnan Shipyard near Shanghai. In September, the Fujian launched its first berthing tests to shorten the time to completion in parallel, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. Such berthing trials test a ship’s systems – how they work individually and together – from propulsion to mechanical equipment.