The picture taken on June 19 shows a ship-borne J-15 Flying Shark fighter with its tail hook down about to catch an arresting cable and land on the deck of the Chinese Aircraft Carrier (Chinamil.com.cn Li Tang)
Posted on 09/30/2013 1:08:18 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
No match for a U.S. Hornet: “China’s Navy J-15 more a flopping fish than a flying shark” Chinese media say
Even if some analysts compared it to the F/A-18 Hornet, the Shenyang J-15 “Flying Shark” may not be the powerful and deadly threat to the U.S. Navy Air Power in the Pacific.
Indeed, in spite of the recent claims that it had succesfully achieved full-load take off and landing on the Liaoning aircraft carrier, the China’s embarked plane may not be able to operate from Beijing’s first supercarrier.
According to the Sina Military Network, that has (weirdly) criticized the Flyng Shark calling it a “flopping fish”, the recent tests with heavy weapons have limited the attack range of the J-15 to a distance of 120 kilometers from the carrier: whilst it is said to be capable to carry 12 tons of weapons, when the aircraft is fully loaded with fuel, it can’t carry more than 2 tons of missiles and munitions, meaning that only two YJ-83K anti-ship missiles and two PL-8 air-to-air missiles could be carried (in an anti-ship configuration).
People’s Liberation Army Navy’s next generation carriers will have electromagnetic catapults that will safely launch heavy J-15s. The problem is the ski-jump ramp of the current, only PLA Navy aircraft carrier, that makes take off of aircraft exceeding 26 tons of total weight extremely difficult unless you have a more powerful aircraft, as the Mig-29K.
That’s why a lone Soviet aircraft carrier with ski-jump is no match for a U.S. flattop. And a J-15 carrying only handful of medium and short range air-to-air missiles in air defense configuration to be able to launch for Liaoning would probably be no match for U.S. carrier-based F/A-18E/F Hornet.
The picture taken on June 19 shows a ship-borne J-15 Flying Shark fighter with its tail hook down about to catch an arresting cable and land on the deck of the Chinese Aircraft Carrier (Chinamil.com.cn Li Tang)
How many carriers and planes will China have deployed in 10 years, versus how many of ours will still be operational?
In the end, its all about whose economy and manufactoring base is better.
And don’t forget the potential treason of some president like Clinton (remember Loral?) who sold them sensitive technology for campaign cash or the Occupant who’s eager to take down America on general principles.
Keep in mind that the goals of the PLAN our different from ours.
This is their “USS Langley”. It was along time before we went from that, to a viable carrier force.
(((PING)))
I bet there’s an F-22 out there just chomping at the bit to get at one of these.
First generation “aircraft carriers” (like Langley) were often times no more than a broad-beamed cargo ship fitted with a landing deck of sufficient width and length to handle the 1st and 2nd generation aircraft of the day. And those aircraft were biplanes with so much lift from their wings they could get airborne in what? 50-75 feet and had a landing roll out of even less distance. The downpayment to get into the carrier game then was very modest and a number of nations chose to experiment.
By contrast, the Chinese are entering the carrier stream at Generation 5+ with a Generation 4 compromise design in both the ship and aircraft set. They are going to have to sort out that set of issues. Then they must decide if they want to commit to keeping multiple carrier battlegroups at sea on a continuing basis. That is the path they must tread to create a true big ocean carrier presence. Otherwise, they will be like the Russians, and have only an episodic carrier presence on the world's oceans.
In the meantime, the Japanese, who are right to be concerned about Chinese intentions concerning the Ryukyu's (Okinawa Prefecture), are already building aircraft carrier-like warships. Once they shake off their post-WWII constitutional reticence, expect the Japanese to start building true aircraft carriers again.
The next generation U.S. carrier is already $2 billion over budget. The F-35 is tens of billions over budget. If the U.S. Navy slips in strength it's going to be due more to incompetence than through administration policy.
On a side note, those Chinese green shirts will learn the hard way why you don’t stand next to the arresting cables like that. Eventually they’ll break a cable, and the spectators will get cut in half.
The Chinese have fielded their 1st carrier. Their real capability is years down the road. We can make fun of it or laugh at it off now, but they have taken a significant step.
For the Chinese - this is just the beginning.
While the Americans mothball their carriers and drastically cut their number of planes and training - the Chinese are just starting to ramp up.
10 years ago American Admirals would have laughed in your face if you told them the Chinese would have a operational modern aircraft carrier with Chinese designed and built operation carrier jets today.
10 years from now...
BUMP.
Bring back American manufacturing!
Now.
ObamaCare or any government healthcare system will help make that impossible
SO, how many anti-ship missiles do you reckon would be needed to take out a US carrier?
Against a first-tier nation like Japan, the Chinese carrier is a target. The carrier is not for Japan, which Chinese planes can reach from mainland bases, especially with tanker support.
For a China that is increasingly investing in Africa, a carrier is an excellent way to do some "gunboat diplomacy" against any African nation that makes a move to nationalize Chinese assets.
What would an advanced fighter look like as a bi-plane?
lol
The Chinese can lose a lot of green shirts before they notice. That just means more food for everyone else.
Exactly. And it’s a strong message to India as well.
A fight between the Varyag with it’s Su-27 derivatives and Gorshkov (soon to be turned over to India) with it’s MiG-29Ks is an interesting scenario. I don’t buy the writers assertion that the MiG-29 is “more powerful” than the Su-27/J-15 by a long shot. But the Indians have maintained a respectable fixed wing carrier capability for 60 or so years now and have the experiential advantage.
In terms of long term prospects for the Varyag, once the ChiComs get their CATOBAR carriers into operation she’ll be a dedicated training deck and/or STOBAR capable LPH.
They have an abundance of replacement seamen ;)
The carrier also allows power projection against the Philippines, and other Pacific countries.
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