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Posted on 07/10/2013 9:59:49 AM PDT by Jeff Head
The first six operational pilots have been qualified in take-offs and landings aboard the PLAN Aircaft Carrier Liaoning, CV-16, for the Chinese Navy.
Short History:
The Liaoning is a Short Take-off, Barrier Assisted Recovery (STOBAR) carrier that the Chinese purchased from the Ukraine in the early 2000s when it was only partially complete. She was the sister ship of the Russian Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and was to be the 2nd in that class when the Soviet Union fell.
As a result, the Ukraine took possession of the partially completed carrier but themselves could not afford to finish her. She sat, docked, for several years until the Chinese showed interest in her. After purchasing her for $20 million, the Chinese towed her to Dalian Shipyards in China where they spent almost 10 years completely overhauling and refitting her. As a result, they transformed her into a fully operational, modern Chinese Aircraft Carrier, China's first. She was launched and conducted her first sea trials in August of 2011, and was then commissioned into the Perople's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) early in 2012.
First Pilot Qualification in Landing and Take-off:
After several short trials and training crusies, the Liaoning left her new home base at Shandong on the East China Sea in June 2013 and conducted her first operational pilot certifications. The aircraft the PLAN chose for its carrier strike aircraft is the J-15. This is an upgraded and modified version of the Russian SU-33. The Chinese received one prototype SU-33 from Ukraine. They also bought numerous SU-27s (which the SU-33 was developed from) from the Russians, and then license built even more of their own from kits supplied by Russia. Ultimately they developed their own indegenous version of the SU-27, the J-11B, which they now build completely by themselves. Between that experience, and the SU-33 prototype, the Chinese were able to develop their own new carrier strike aircraft which is a newer, more modern version of the Russian SU-33.
Three of these J-15 aircraft, serial numbers 552, 553, and 554, were taken aboard the Liaoning for these qualifications. The 552 and 553 had been used previously on numerpous occassions when the test pilots were qualifying the aircraft themselves for use on the Liaoning.
While at sea, the vessel conducted numerous training operations, including working with the aircraft in the hanger, and teaching the mainteance personnel how to get them there and how to manuever, park, and work on them while in the hanger spaces. Notice how large the J-15 fighers are in realtion to the elevators that carry them to the hanger, and how little clearance there is between the front of the aircaft where it is next to the hull, and its rear wheels and their position at the very outer edge of the elevator next to the safety netting.
The principle purpose for the cruise, and really, for the carrier itself, is to operate strike aircraft off of its deck. In order to do that, numerous pilots must be trained and qualified. The Chinese Navy had built and begaun using a Naval Aviation Training Facility on the north coast of the Bohai Sea, where they initially train pilots in preparation for having them graduate and then qualify on the carrier itself.
Six pilots who went through that training facility were taken aboard the Liaoning for the exercises in June 2013 in order to have them qualify on the aircraft for taking off and landing aboard the carrier. They performed numerous take-offs and landings each until they met the criteria established by the PLAN< and were then presented their qualification certificates onboard the Liaoning, on the flight deck.
Summary:
As a result of this exercise and qualifiaction, the first six operational J-15 pilots are now qualified for take-offs and landings aboard the PLAN Liaoning, CV-16. There is a lot of work yet to do to train all the piloyts necessary to operate what is envisioned as two 12 aircraft squadrons of J-15s off of the Liaoning. In addition, take-offs and landings are only the intial qualifications necessary.
To become fully operational, all of the primary pilots, and any substitute pilots will have to be qualified in all of the following to ultimatley make them fully operational on the carrier:
WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA
AEGIS & AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD
THE US NAVY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY
You do amazingly great work, Jeff. Thank you.
Six???
When they’ve got six thousand, and they’ve all been through the Chinese equivalent of Top Gun, let me know.
That’s not the point. They will never get to 6,000 until they have done six. They have developed and built a decent Naval Aviation Training Facility and they are putting their SU-27 and J-11B pilots through it, then moving them onto the carrier for quals.
They now have a 65,000 ton fixed wing carrier. They have developed very credible escorts for the vessel and are planning on building several more carriers.
We should take note. Yes, it will be a long, long time before they come close to our capabilities, technology, or numbers. But, they are tilting the scales in the WESTPAC among other nations there...and will continue to do so.
And other nations in the area, including our allies are taking note. The Australians are just finishing their first Canberra Class LHA with a ski-jump. The Japanese are just finishing their 1st 22DDH light carrier of 27,000 tons capable of embariking the JSF. The Indians are taking delivery of their own Russian refit, and building their own and already have a bunch of Mig-29K Carrier aircraft to put on them.
Anyhow, IMHO, it is notworthy and something to keep on the radar screen.
Thank you. Gotta keep abreast of what is going on out there.
I like the satellite photo of the Naval Aviation Training Center. I’ve finally figured out why the Chinese pollute so much. The smog acts as a smokescreen for satellite surveillance.
I then began watching the Google Earth updates. When I saw that, zoomed in on it, consulted with some frineds, I then labeled it. The Chinese have since announced it themselves.
Great post as usual Jeff Head. The Chinese are truly serious about building capacity, and putting serious money down to match their intent. However, I am sure that within an hour some FReeper will say how silly the Chinese are. Not surprising, since it may even be the same FReeper who said A-10s are all the US needs. Could even be a relation of the idiot who claimed Pearl Harbor was safe because Japanese pilots couldn’t fly straight because their eyes were slanted. He sure was right.
That’s a good looking, yet scary ship. The Red Chinese mean business and the U.S. should not underestimate them like we did the Japanese in 1941.
I agree with you completely, as someone who clearly understands the situation.
I was being facetious, of course, but the Chinese war drums have to be taken seriously.
On the other hand, if we count ourselves together with the Japanese, the people of Taiwan, the Austalians, maybe the South Koreans, and the people of India, all as potential allies, we may find ourselves on somewhat safer ground.
I would never underestimate the threat of mainland China to world peace.
Had to be some major pucker time for those pilots on the first few ship landings. If they augered in and survived, they likely would wish they had bought it instead.
Perhaps, just a long way to go.
The USN and JN went from nothing to carrier task forces in 20 years. And they had no one to copy from.
I don't know much about ship building, but smarter people (us) completing a ship for ten years and building their own aircraft, would take account of the aircraft having more clearance on the elevators. Just saying, what with the stress of combat operations and such, accidents can happen when clearance is so tight. One of those things that we do better?
They’ll still get their asses kicked by Japan and other nations. When I was at Top Gun a year ago (location scouting for a film), they had Japanese pilots, around 10 of them, being introduced to the instructor and he had a translator. The next room had fighter pilots from Singapore.
They’ll see “pucker” when they try their first night trap with a pitching deck.
In attempt to counter the combined weight of the US, Japan, Australia, Korea, and others, the Chinese are exercising with the Russians, who themselves are rapidly building their navy back after years of neglect since the Soviet Union fell. They will commission 26 new vessels this year.
These 2013 Exercises between the PLAN and the Russian Navy are going on as we type here. Clearly, the Chinese believe that if they are in with the Russians, it lessens the chance for INdia coming in on the US side. That's indeterminate.
For these exercises, the Russians have their latest Slava Class cruiser, two of the newer Udaloy class DDGs, a Soveremenny class DDG, and 3-4 of their newer Frigates. The Chinese have sent all new vessels, four destroyers, two frigates and one of their AORs
Here's the exclusion/restricted zone they set up:
And here are spome pics:
It is the same dimensions that the Russians worked with with their Kuznetsov and SU-33.
The J-15 is a heck of a good perfromer. very high thrust to weight ratio and excellent range, maneuverability, etc. They would not be a push over in any way. h room on their elevators, but just enough.
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