{"id":27067,"date":"2018-01-23T14:53:52","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T14:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/23\/no-slowdown-for-chinas-navy-aspirations\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:20:14","slug":"no-slowdown-for-chinas-navy-aspirations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/01\/23\/no-slowdown-for-chinas-navy-aspirations\/","title":{"rendered":"No slowdown for China\u2019s Navy aspirations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 China\u2019s carrier aviation programs continue apace<\/a> with the focus starting to shift toward the development and introduction of training and specialized aircraft as China\u2019s first domestically built carrier<\/a> approaches the start of sea trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reported decision to proceed with China\u2019s version of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System will also have an impact on these programs, and will allow China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, to operate a wider variety of aircraft from onboard its carriers, allowing it to have better-rounded carrier air wings and enhance its capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Shark growth<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the PLAN only has a single type of fixed-wing carrierborne aircraft in service. This is the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark multirole fighter. The J-15 is one of several Chinese-developed derivatives of Russia\u2019s Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker family. Like the land-based J-11 and J-16<\/a>, the J-15s are equipped with indigenous avionics and weapons, although the engines are still the Russian Saturn AL-31 turbofans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately two dozen J-15s have been produced so far in two production batches, and these are currently only able to operate from the ski jump-equipped Liaoning aircraft carrier and the Type 002 carrier being fitted out in the city of Dalian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is known to have at least one of the six J-15 prototypes fitted with catapult launch accessories on its nose landing gear, and the country is carrying out catapult tests with this aircraft, using what are believed to be a steam catapult and EMALS at an air base near Huludao, Liaoning province in northern China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, China is developing a twin-seat variant of the J-15, with at least a single prototype known to be flying from Shenyang Aircraft Corporation\u2019s facilities located in its namesake city. It is likely this variant, designated the J-15S, will operate from the future, catapult-equipped carrier China will build after the Type 002 as a two-seat multirole fighter alongside single-seat J-15s, much like the mix of single-seat Boeing F\/A-18E Super Hornets and twin-seat F\/A-18Fs onboard a typical U.S. Navy carrier air wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future production batches of J-15s are also expected to be fitted with more modern avionics, such as those already fitted to the J-16 fighter that will included an active electronically scanned array radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The electronic warfare\/electronic attack technology being developed for a specialized variant of the J-16 may also be introduced on the J-15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, these are unlikely to be fielded in the near term, but rather are expected to enter service in the early part of the next decade, at the earliest.<\/p>\n\n\n\t