Posted on 09/28/2012 6:48:28 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
All-Chinese jets to serve on nation's first carrier
China's first aircraft carrier will be equipped with aircraft developed from fighters made in China, Ministry of Defense spokesman Yang Yujun said Thursday.
Chinese J-15 fighters.[File photo]
Domestic military officials and analysts are predicting that Chinese J-15 fighters, instead of Russia's Su-33 fighter, will be used as many photographs had been published showing the plane on the Liaoning's deck.
The current weak point of the J-15, also known as the Flying Shark, which is said to be a match for US F-18 Hornet fighters, is its Russia-made Al-31 engines which are less powerful than those of the American F-35 fighter, said Hu Siyuan, a professor with the National Defense University PLA China.
"However, the J-15 will be more competitive in future when the Chinese jet is equipped with made-in-China engines because the US jet has only a single engine," he said.
The twin-engined Chinese fighter made its maiden flight in 2009 in northeastern Shenyang.
China's J-31 stealth fighter may also be used on the carrier in future, analysts said.
The J-31 attracted wide public attention in June when some online pictures showed the cutting-edge fighter fully wrapped but with its futuristic shape still discernible.
"Both fighters have twin engines and will have great potential to upgrade weapons load and fighting ability in future," said military analyst Qu Yanbing, adding that the Liaoning would have about 40 fixed-wing aircraft on board.
Yang on Thursday dismissed foreign media reports saying that China is building a second aircraft carrier in Shanghai and that it will be launched late this year.
"Such reports are inaccurate," Yang said at the regular news briefing.
Though the carrier could be combat ready at any time, it will continue to be used for scientific research and experiments as well as military training, Yang said.
"Aircraft carriers can be used for both attack and defense as well as to safeguard the peace and for rescue works in disasters, but, for the Liaoning, experiments and training are its major task," he said.
As for the Liaoning's impact on China's surrounding areas, Yang stressed that the country adheres to the path of peaceful development, independent foreign policy and pursues a defensive national policy.
(Shanghai Daily contributed to the story.)
Get the popcorn and beer ready! It took the U.S. — we invented aviation and carrier aviation — years just to launch and recover 2,000 pound biplanes at sea. It took us 30 years to be ready for WW II carrier aviation with prop planes. It took us 40 years to be able to handle jet aircraft. It took us 100 years to be able to field CVN-68s and F-18s. And the Chinese think they will be able to field a meaningful carrier aviation force with today’s aircraft from scratch? LOL! LOL!
Will their landing area be sideways? ;~)
We did a lot for carrier aviation and are now the preeminent nation in that area. However, the Brits had a lot to do with getting it started; they actually were first to try it and, for a time, were ahead of us in a number of innovations.
Reverse Engineering something is far simpler than building something for the first time.. someone else has already done all the hard work.
China will have its problems, but they aren’t having to overcome all the hurdles inventing the technology and skills in the first place did.
Yes, I think so too
At least it has some stealth though
One order of sizzling happy People’s Liberation Army Navy Air Corps, coming right up.
Don’t know why we’d bother fighting this carrier unit in the future; after our guys eat it up they’ll just end up hungry for more again in a couple hours.
Is that a MOSQUE? (the yellow thing, to the left of the flag at the bottom) JK
WSJ had an article about the new Chinese carrier. It was “dedicated” recently but it will take years to prepare it for duty and more years for pilot training.
Yup, that’s the “J-31” prototype. Or the “J-21” one. Both designations have been used, at least in the press, creating some confusion as to whether there is one plane mistakenly being called two different things, or two different planes entirely (where the plane you posted the pic of is the J-21 and the J-31 is still rumor).
PLUS the question of how the J-21/J-31 relate to the J-20 stealth aircraft that has been well documented.
I almost spilled my coffee on my laptop laughing at that... however it is so true.
“However, the J-15 will be more competitive in future when the Chinese jet is equipped with made-in-China engines because the US jet has only a single engine,” he said.
Since when?someone either is blind or just doesn’t know how to count because the last time I looked the f-18 had two engines.
The other funny thing about the artical was when they mention that the j-15 will improve when they get different engines. It’s not the engines that are important it’s the thrust they put out.
lol.
Well, it is the Obama Navy now
Even though our traitorous 'State' Department gives our enemies advanced technology, unless one understands system level thinking, the only thing the Chinese will produce are targets.
This is not to discount the advances that can be made using US Government Cliff Notes. When Hughes Aerospace and Ron Brown (Commerce) gave away MIRV technology to the Chinese, they leap-frogged 40 years of experience and made the Chinese missiles a threat.
But vastly simpler missiles are not front line fighter aircraft.
The other thing we have going for us is that the Chinese are utterly corrupt. Besides copying designs from everyone, they counterfeit everything. They fake EVERYTHING. To meet PLA schedules I can envision sub-standard titanium/aluminum being used in critical stress areas (their supply chain will fake testing and certify it 'good')
I would not want to be Colonel Yang doing the maiden takeoff and landing on their refurbished Ukrainian carrier.
Even IF the Chinese manage to build a solid plane, it's got to be able to detect enemies without giving itself away, acquire the target without giving itself away and give and receive good intel without giving itself away. And they need the whole system including AWACS-type platforms.(All requiring world-class antennas and electronics the Chinese will have to develop.)
Not to discount their determination, or the Kenyan's ability to sell us out, but the Chinese can't steal everything. They will have to earn the top slot.
Unless you want to quibble over a few percent, you are wrong about that
Yep, the deck is large enough. The problems are huge Sukhoi aircraft and a lack of catapults.
The diferences were in the beefed up langind gear and the tail hook, along with the forward stabilators which they have already mastered with their six prototypes.
IOW, they already know pretty much how to fly them...but not from carriers and that is where there learning curve is about to begin. And, like America, they are going to lose some aorcraft and pilots in the learing.
The diferences were in the beefed up landing gear and the tail hook, along with the forward stabilators which they have already mastered with their six prototypes.
IOW, they already know pretty much how to fly them...but not from carriers and that is where there learning curve is about to begin. And, like America, they are going to lose some aorcraft and pilots in the learing.
Oh...I believe they have a demonstratr, like the J-20 too...which is flying quite regularly and which they have two of...but I do not believe it is a prototype stage yet, much less ready for production.
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