In today's world, naval power is an important manifestation of national strength. As a world power, the construction of aircraft carriers in the United States has always been the focus of global attention. However, in recent years, the US aircraft carrier construction project has faced great challenges. Despite the $860 billion invested, the project has not worked as expected, raising questions about the use of the funds.
The rapid development of the Chinese Navy, especially the breakthrough in electromagnetic catapult technology, has attracted wide attention from the international community. Ma Weiming, a Chinese Navy rear admiral and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, known as the "father of China's electromagnetic catapult technology", announced in 2017 that China had successfully developed electromagnetic catapult technology, and made it clear that China has surpassed the United States in this regard. This achievement marks a new milestone in the development of the Chinese Navy.
At the same time, the American aircraft carrier project "Ford" is in trouble. Since construction began in 1996, progress on the project has been slow due to funding problems and the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. What is even more worrying is that the "Ford" did not meet expectations in terms of key technologies, which led to the questioning of its combat effectiveness. Among the 13 key technologies, only 7 meet the standards, and two of them are the technologies that Academician Ma Weiming mentioned that China has surpassed the United States.
In contrast, the development of the Chinese Navy is remarkable. From the renovation of the "Varyag" aircraft carrier in 2005, to the commissioning of the "Liaoning" and "Shandong" ships, and then to the launching of the "Fujian" aircraft carrier, China has demonstrated its ability to build aircraft carriers independently. In particular, the electromagnetic catapult technology used by the aircraft carrier "Fujian" shows China's leading position in the field of naval technology.
Academician Ma Weiming and his team have played a key role in the technological breakthrough of the Chinese Navy, and their contributions have made the Chinese Navy stronger and stronger. The issue of the U.S. aircraft carrier program has triggered a re-examination of its naval development strategy, and the Chinese Navy's breakthrough achievements herald its leadership in the future global naval competition.
Looking ahead, the Chinese Navy is expected to lead the world in electromagnetic catapult technology, aircraft carrier construction capabilities, ocean-going operations and global presence, new technologies and technologies, scientific research and international cooperation, maritime humanitarian operations and crisis response.
The Chinese Navy's continued technological innovation, military modernization, and international cooperation, as well as its active participation in international security and maritime governance, will give it a leading position in the global naval competition. The efforts of Academician Ma Weiming and the younger generation of scientific researchers will promote the Chinese Navy to continue to lead the trend of future naval warfare.