The Chinese Navy Announces Full Equipment of the Aircraft Carrier's "Five Major Components": A Historic Leap in the Systematic Combat Capability of Carrier-Based Aviation Forces

On May 9, 2026, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, officially announced at a regular press conference that the People's Liberation Army Navy has successfully completed the full outfitting of the aircraft carrier's "five major components"—stealth carrier-based fighter jets, multi-role catapult carrier-based fighter jets, fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft, fixed-wing carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, and carrier-based anti-submarine helicopters. This milestone declaration marks a critical leap for the operational capability of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier strike group, transitioning from "element completion" to "system generation," and is considered one of the most strategically significant points in the development history of China's aircraft carrier program.

The so-called "five major components" are not merely a simple listing of five types of equipment, but rather a complete operational system architecture for carrier-based aviation. The stealth carrier-based fighter jet corresponds to the J-35 stealth fighter, which completed its first public catapult launch during sea trials of the Fujian in 2025, making it China's first stealth carrier-based fighter. The multi-role catapult carrier-based fighter jet refers to the J-15T, which, compared to the previous ski-jump version of the J-15, has full-load takeoff capability and stronger strike capabilities against sea and land targets. The fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft is the KJ-600, which is China's independently developed carrier-based fixed-wing early warning aircraft, utilizing an advanced active phased array radar system to establish an air warning and command control system with a radius of hundreds of kilometers in front of the carrier strike group. The fixed-wing carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft is the J-15DT—an electronic warfare variant developed from the J-15D, capable of performing tasks such as accompanying jamming and out-of-area electronic suppression. The carrier-based anti-submarine helicopter includes new platforms such as the Z-20F. The comprehensive outfitting of these five aircraft types enables the Chinese carrier's air wing to have a system composition similar to that of the U.S. Navy's carrier air wing—integrating early warning command, air superiority operations, anti-surface strikes, electronic countermeasures, and anti-submarine defense.

From a timeline perspective, the speed at which China's "five major components" have been established is remarkable. The Fujian (hull number 18) was officially commissioned on November 5, 2025, making it China's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier, with a full-load displacement of approximately 80,000 tons. Within just a few months of commissioning, the Fujian has completed catapult launches and arrested landings for multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, and KJ-600. Meanwhile, the first ship of the 076 amphibious assault ship class, the Sichuan, also set sail for its first sea trials in November 2025. This ship has been referred to as a "drone carrier," equipped with an electromagnetic catapult capable of launching and recovering large fixed-wing drones and light manned aircraft. These developments collectively indicate that the Chinese Navy is building a blue-water operational system centered around aircraft carriers at an unprecedented speed.

Senior Colonel Jiang Bin specifically pointed out in his remarks that the full outfitting of the "five major components" is "a key link in forming the operational capability of the carrier strike group and an important achievement in the Navy's accelerated transformation and development." He further emphasized that building a strong People's Navy carries the century-old aspiration of the Chinese nation to strengthen its maritime capabilities and is an important guarantee for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This statement directly links the enhancement of carrier capabilities to the country's maritime strategy, clearly conveying Beijing's strategic determination to accelerate naval modernization.

Behind the announcement of the "five major components," the actual deployment of China's naval carrier capabilities is also advancing rapidly. From April to May 2026, coinciding with the U.S.-Philippines "Shoulder to Shoulder-2026" joint military exercise in key maritime areas of the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, the Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group traversed the Taiwan Strait and entered the South China Sea for operations. At the same time, a surface action group led by the 055-class destroyer Zunyi (hull number 107) conducted live-fire exercises in waters east of Luzon Island, while two H-6 bombers armed with YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles flew over Scarborough Shoal under the escort of J-16 fighters to perform "combat readiness patrols." Notably, the 815A electronic reconnaissance ship "Tianquanxing" (AGI-797) was confirmed to be deployed at a position of 14.8 degrees north latitude and 118.8 degrees east longitude, approximately 150 to 200 kilometers within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, conducting close-range signal intelligence collection in the exercise area.

These deployments create a three-dimensional picture of far-sea power projection, precisely confirming the capability leap achieved by the Chinese carrier strike group following the outfitting of the "five major components"—aircraft carriers are no longer isolated aerial strike platforms but are now the core of a "reconnaissance-jamming-strike-assessment" closed kill chain supported by early warning aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft, and stealth fighters. When the KJ-600 provides wide-area situational awareness in front of the strike group, the J-15DT implements electronic suppression against enemy radar and communication nodes, and the J-35 executes penetrating strikes using its stealth advantages, the effectiveness of the entire operational system far exceeds the simple sum of the capabilities of each platform.

Looking to the future, the construction progress of China's fourth aircraft carrier—widely believed to be a nuclear-powered supercarrier (Type 004)—is also receiving significant attention. According to various open-source intelligence analyses, the Type 004 is expected to have a full-load displacement that may surpass that of the U.S. Ford-class carriers, carrying a larger-scale air wing that includes platforms such as the J-35, J-15T, KJ-600, Z-20F, and GJ-21 stealth unmanned attack aircraft. Against the strategic backdrop of the "14th Five-Year Plan" (2026-2030) calling for an accelerated transformation towards intelligent warfare, the construction of the Chinese Navy's carrier capabilities is demonstrating strong momentum as it transitions from a "follower" to a "leader."

In summary, the announcement of the full outfitting of the "five major components" is not an isolated technical achievement but a symbolic signal of the Chinese Navy's transition from near-sea defense to far-sea escort operations entering deeper waters. The generation of this systemic capability not only reshapes the maritime power balance in the Western Pacific and the Indo-Pacific region but also lays a solid material foundation for the Chinese carrier strike group to execute diversified missions in more distant waters and more complex threat environments. As Senior Colonel Jiang Bin stated, the modernization of the Chinese Navy is becoming more robust and powerful—from the skies to the seas, from near waters to far seas, achieving leapfrog development and innovative breakthroughs.