Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
It’s that time again! The holidays are upon us. Although we took a hiatus last year due to logistical and timing issues, we are back in full force with this year’s TWZ holiday tee! And to go with the theme of a very stealthy Christmas, we are also bringing back some of our most beloved designs that we made with our partners at Blipshift for rare re-issues. So if you missed them the first time, here’s your shot!
Our new offering, ‘Waritos,’ pays homage to the nickname tossed at flying-wing designs and the snack that inspired it. “Flying Doritos” or “Doritos of Death” are becoming much more common with rapid developments in stealthy platforms here at home and around the globe. So these soaring wedge-shaped treats are only going to become more of a staple in our skies. For the U.S., the king of the hill in this category is the B-21 Raider. Northrop Grumman’s creation takes what it learned after decades of B-2 Spirit development and operations, and packages it into something even farther reaching, stealthier, more connected and adaptable.
With all this in mind, and due to the fact that we hear readers call it a Dorito all the time, we let the B-21 take center stage in our design.
Still, we must caution that while the B-21 may share a common shape with America’s favorite heavily seasoned tortilla chip, don’t take a bite out of the bomber — radar absorbent coatings are notoriously toxic.
Grab your human upper body-sized bag of “Waritos” at the link below. And remember, like all our designs, they are only available for a very short window of time!
“Stealthier Things” was also a big crowd pleaser and it’s more relevant now than on our first release as the final season of Netflix’s biggest hit just dropped.
The sale of these wearable gems ends Monday (so you can get them by Christmas), then the designs go back into the TWZ apparel vault. Also be sure to check the pull down menu when selecting your shirt as hoodies and other fabric offerings are available.
And to all our readers, commenting community, friends in the industry, and military and colleagues, we wish you all a fantastic holiday and the best for you and your family.
Thank you so much for all the continued support, we literally would not be here without all of you!
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
China has now formally commissioned its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into service. The commissioning ceremony put particular emphasis on the ship’s electromagnetically-powered catapults, with President Xi Jinping shown pressing the launch button inside the control ‘bubble’ built into the flight deck. This all notably comes after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged last week to sign an executive order that would compel the U.S. Navy to go back to using steam-powered catapults on future carriers.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian, seen during its commissioning ceremony. Chinese Ministry of National Defense
Fujian’s commissioning ceremony took place at the naval port in Sanya on the island of Hainan on November 5, according to a press release the Chinese Ministry of Defense put out today. Examples of the key aircraft in the carrier’s air wing – J-35 and J-15 fighters, the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and the Z-20F helicopter – were displayed on the flight deck during the event. The conventionally-powered Fujian was launched in 2022 and has conducted multiple sea trials since 2024, including a major demonstration of its ability to launch and recover aircraft back in September.
President Xi Jinping presided over the flag-granting ceremony of the Fujian in Sanya, officially marking China’s entry into the three-carrier era (Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian).
The 80,000-ton Fujian is China’s first carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system (EMALS)… pic.twitter.com/DwVwspOjjW
There had already been signs earlier this week that Fujian, which has received the hull number 18, had officially entered operational service. China’s newest carrier had been in port in Sanya for more than a month. It had also been sharing a pier with the Shandong, one of the other two aircraft carriers in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) inventory. The Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, and Shandong are both short take-off, but arrested recovery (STOBAR) types with ski jump bows instead of catapults.
Fujian, in the foreground, seen during the commissioning ceremony in Sanya. The Shandong is seen on the opposite side of the pier. Chinese Ministry of National Defense
Nice quality side by side of Fujian with Shandong at Sanya. Illustrates well marginal waterline length increase but providing a considerably wider hull significanly improving deck traffic. The forward elevator position remains somewhat compromised vs starboard launch position. https://t.co/B9a97qvwHf
As has been made clear, Fujian‘s electromagnetic catapults, also referred to as an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), are an especially significant feature of the carrier’s design. There is currently only one other flattop in service globally with an EMALS, the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford, which we will come back to later on.
With Fujian, China has skipped over carriers with steam-powered catapults entirely, a decision the country’s Ministry of National Defense has now said was directed by President Xi himself. Steam has been the default for powering catapults on aircraft carriers equipped with them for decades. As noted, Xi was given the opportunity to press the launch button inside the carrier catapult control ‘bubble,’ though no actual aircraft left the ship’s deck during the in-port ceremony.
Official confirmation:
President Xi personally made the decision for the aircraft carrier Fujian to have the electromagnetic catapult, instead of the steam catapult that was originally designed to have.
In principle, an EMALS offers significant advantages over steam when it comes to sortie generation rates. The amount of force electromagnetic catapults exert on the aircraft they launch can also be more finely tuned, increasing the range of types they can accommodate, helping to reduce general wear and tear, and providing additional safety margins. The ability of an EMALS to launch smaller and more fragile designs is seen as particularly critical to opening the door to future carrier-based drone operations, something the PLAN is very actively pursuing. The video clip in the social media post below looks to highlight all of this to a degree by showing how fast and smoothly the catapult shuttles on Fujian can decelerate after being engaged.
PLAN Fujian’s EMALS shuttle goes from rocket boost to slow-roll in a split second. That extreme deceleration is insane—and it’s all real-time. Notice the flags in the background are waving at normal speed, indicating it’s not slow-mo pic.twitter.com/E3SRLnF0TB
At the same time, the U.S. experience with EMALS technology on the USS Gerald R. Ford has shown it to be hard to master. The carrier’s catapults, as well as the companion electronically-controlled Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), have struggled with technical and reliability issues over the years. The ship also has electromagnetically powered elevators for moving munitions and other stores between its magazines and the flight deck, which were plagued with problems in the past. The Navy says it has mitigated the issues with Ford‘s catapults, arresting gear, and elevators, but official details regarding operations as recently as last year highlight continued difficulties. Other elements of the carrier’s design, especially its Dual Band Radar (DBR) system, have faced challenges, as well. Future Ford class carriers will notably feature an entirely new main radar configuration.
During a speech last month, U.S. President Donald Trump assailed the Navy over issues with Ford’s catapult and elevators. He promised to sign an executive order compelling the service to go back to using steam-powered catapults and hydraulic elevators. Though that order has yet to materialize, Trump has been outspoken about the catapult elevator issues with the Ford class on multiple occasions in the past, and has taken a very active role in U.S. naval planning and ship design, as you can read more about here.
This all stands in stark contrast to the developments in China, especially so now, with authorities in the country having said President Xi was personally responsible for the EMALS capabilities on Fujian. The new supersized Type 076 amphibious assault ship for the PLAN also has a single catapult that is understood to be an EMALS type. Other countries are also looking ahead at equipping future carriers and big deck amphibious vessels with electromagnetic catapults.
President Xi Jinping poses with pilots and flight deck personnel during Fujian‘s commissioning ceremony. Chinese Ministry of National Defense
For China, Fujian, which is now officially in operational service, has long been a very significant development, well beyond the design of its catapults. Its carrier air wing is set to offer a host of new naval aviation capabilities, especially with the introduction of the J-35 naval stealth fighter and the KJ-600. The J-35 and KJ-600 were heavily showcased during the most recent round of sea trials, as seen in the videos below.
Fujian is also China’s first carrier that is not based on a Soviet design, which is a point of national pride. Liaoning was originally laid down in the Soviet Union as the planned sister ship to the long-troubled Admiral Kuznetsov. Work on the ship came to a halt with the fall of the Soviet Union. The government of the newly independent country of Ukraine subsequently came into possession of the incomplete Kuznetsov class carrier and ultimately sold it to Chinese buyers. There had been speculation that the ship would be turned into a floating hotel or amusement park, something that did happen in China with other ex-Soviet aircraft carriers, before it became clear that the PLAN intended to put it into operational service. The Shandong, which was entirely built in China, was derived from the Liaoning‘s design.
Liaoning and Shandong seen sailing together with an array of escorts. A formation of 12 J-15 fighters is also seen flying overhead. Chinese government
Altogether, Fujian‘s commissioning is another important step forward for China’s carrier force and its larger naval modernization plans. The heavy focus on its EMALs catapults could have additional ramifications for global carrier developments, including in the United States.
