Will China's Fujian Carrier Be First to Deploy Anti-Torpedo System Against Western Submarines?

China's Fujian aircraft carrier is poised to become the world's first carrier equipped with an anti-torpedo system (ATT), a capability that would represent a significant advancement in hard-kill defense, according to claims in the Chinese military magazine Defence Review. Commissioned in November, the Fujian is the third aircraft carrier for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and the first entirely designed in China. A key distinguishing feature is its six-tube 324mm lightweight torpedo launcher, replacing the 12-tube depth charge launchers found on the older Liaoning and Shandong carriers. This setup is widely believed to house an ATT system. This potential deployment marks a critical step in naval warfare, positioning China not only to keep pace with modern threats but also to counter the "severe threat" posed by advanced U.S. Navy submarines, such as the Seawolf-class and the anticipated SSN(X), to China's large surface combatants. The article in Defence Review highlighted that torpedoes represent a serious and underestimated threat to PLA Navy carriers, capable of inflicting more damage than anti-ship missiles. Following China's demonstration of an earlier ATT system in 2016, the new system on the Fujian is expected to achieve "world-class level in detection accuracy, damage reliability and system integration." The analysis noted that the U.S. Navy's own anti-torpedo torpedo defense system (ATTDS) project faced failures in the 2010s, with its new hard-kill programs still in development. The Chinese ATT torpedo is theorized to utilize a unique propulsion system, combining a rocket booster for high initial velocity with a rare-earth permanent magnet synchronous direct-drive pump-jet thruster, enabling rapid acceleration to 50-60 knots within three seconds while maintaining precise power control and minimal noise for effective sonar operation.

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Torpedoes present a real and significant threat to PLA Navy aircraft carriers that must not be underestimated.