In what has been billed as a "breathtaking debut", J-15T fighter jets and a J-15D electronic warfare aircraft took to the skies during the recently concluded Zhuhai air show, China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. This is the first time China showcased the J-15T fighter, designed for catapult operations aboard aircraft carriers.
The formation and the various other maneuvers the fighter jet performed at the airshow, including reverse command and buddy refueling, showcased the combat potential of the carrier-based aircraft series.
The 4.5-generation J-15, called “Flying Shark” is China's first fixed-wing carrier-based fighter that boasts of enhanced combat capabilities, thanks to the upgraded avionics and weapons systems, and a refined airframe structure.
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According to news agency Xinhua, military expert Cao Weidong said The J-15T, which is capable of catapult launches and reverse command, demonstrated its preliminary readiness for takeoff and landing operations on the catapult-equipped aircraft carrier Fujian. The fighter jet can also be operated from the other two aircraft carriers of China, CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong, which utilize a ski-jump launch system.
"Once commissioned, the Fujian will rapidly attain combat capability through coordinated operations with the J-15T," Weidong has been quoted as saying.
Military experts said buddy refueling, which involves one aircraft refueling another of the same or similar type, conducted by the J-15 shows a significant boost to Chinese aircraft carriers' long-range operational capacity as it boosts the combat capability and operational radius of the aircraft.